In 1994 indie filmmaker Kevin
Smith saw his buddy comedy “Clerks” released by Miramax. With its quirky humor
and situations, the movie got positive reviews and a $3-million box office from
a $27,575 budget, becoming a landmark indie success and spawning Smith’s cinematic
setting, the View Askewniverse. Smith himself acted on the film alongside Jason
Mewes as slacker-stoner duo Jay and Silent Bob, becoming recurring Askewniverse
characters in “Mallrats” (1995), “Chasing Amy” (1997), “Dogma” (1999), their
own self-titled installments and even “Clerks II” in 2006. Some 15 years after
that film’s release, a new sequel from Kevin Smith is on the way courtesy of
Lionsgate.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate will now take up the
international distribution of “Clerks III,” the third film so titled in the
Askewniverse comedy setting of director Kevin Smith, who is also writing the
script. Smith issued a statement thanking Lionsgate for getting their independent
production “back to where it started, and with the cast that started it all.”
And this is no idle remark. The film reunites as many of the major cast of the
original 1994 “Clerks,” who will be headed to New Jersey, same as the first
time, when production begins in earnest this coming August.
Lionsgate executive VP for
acquisition and co-productions Eda Kowan likewise acknowledged Smith’s indie
film franchise in particular the first “Clerks,” which is already reserved for
preservation in the National Film Registry since 2019. “The Clerks movies are
audience favorites and many of Kevin’s films, like Dogma, Red State, and the
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot are a beloved part of our library that continues to
delight Kevin’s devoted fans,” says Kowan, who will be overseeing filming on
behalf of Lionsgate. “We’re thrilled to be presenting the next chapter in the
Clerks saga to moviegoers worldwide.”
Original “Clerks” cast Brian O’Halloran
and Jeff Anderson team up with “Clerks II” cast member Rosario Dawson and
Askewniverse key stars Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes for another small-town
misadventure at the Quick Stop convenience store of Leonardo, NJ. When longtime
Quick Stop clerk Randall (Anderson) suffers a heart attack, he decides to have
his life immortalized in film with the help of his co-workers…plus Jay and
Silent Bob. Hilarity is expected to ensue. “Clerks III” has no release date.
Meanwhile, Smith has recently
been busy with show-running and executive producing for “Masters of the Universe:
Revelation,” a two-part Netflix animation limited series that is a direct
sequel to the 1980s classic “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” based on
the Mattel toy-line. Part 1 of the show is expected to premiere on Netflix
streaming this Friday, July 23.
Image courtesy of Yahoo News
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