Kevin Smith's highly-anticipated Clerks III will officially begin production in August, although the film is already in the midst of pre-production in New Jersey. Lionsgate has taken Clerks III on and has full rights to the film.
Smith has been adamant about filming Clerks III in New Jersey, likely due to the fact that the video store he made famous in the first Clerk film was literally set in New Jersey. The original Clerks film, produced on a modest budget and shot at the convenience store where Smith really worked, was hailed as a landmark achievement in independent filmmaking and launched Smith into superstardom.
Previously, Smith has made numerous public promises to fans that it’s New Jersey or bust for Clerks III, even going as far as to say that the film’s only budget is for New Jersey. With Jersey being Smith’s home state and him having to face his own mortality when he suffered from a heart attack back in 2018, he was enamored with nostalgia. Clerks III will not only be filming in the same location as the first flick, but it will also feature all the original main cast members from the first two movies as well, including Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves. Apparently, Lionsgate’s involvement with the film is what made the possibility of bringing back the same cast and original location a reality.
Smith has publicly sent gratitude to Lionsgate, saying, “There’s a saying from the Tao that goes something like ‘to be great is to go on. To go on is to go far. To go far is to return. Thanks to Lionsgate, we get to return to where it all started with almost the whole cast that started it all! And for the first time since the first time we ever made a movie in 1993, we’re shooting the entire flick on location in New Jersey, as an ode to both the enduring allure of cinema and the resourcefulness and lunacy of its storytellers. Years ago, Dante and Randal made me a filmmaker - so now it’s time I return the favor.”
Clerks III has been on pause for a solid two years now after Smith announced its impending arrival. In Clerk II, Randal and Dante were taken out of their element and bubble, spending the majority of the film away from the convenience store. Now, Smith will be returning to his roots, as he has made it clear to fans that Clerks III will showcase Randal and Dante’s homecoming to the Quick Stop. When Smith did initially announce that he was in the process of writing a new script for Clerks III, he gave fans a tease as to what they can expect from the film.
Smith, who is well known for voicing his opinions on various topics, including the Alien franchise, has promised fans that Clerks III will be the conclusion of the saga. The themes of the film will include how it's never too late to change your life and decades-long friendships confronting the future. As to when to expect the premiere of Clerks III, fans will have to make do with just knowing that the movie is really happening and will be filming next month.
Clerks III is currently in pre-production.
Source: Deadline