Clerks III is here nearly 30 years after the first movie was released. Kevin Smith has come a long way since he filmed Clerks at the actual convenience store where he worked. Now, the cult filmmaker has his own production company and a hallowed position among Hollywood creatives. Clerks III promises to remind its fans of everything they love about the View Askewniverse, as Smith brings reunites every old friend it took to make his breakout masterpiece, and also Ben Affleck.
The trailer shows us everything we ever loved about Clerks and takes us a little deeper with a literal wink to those true Kevin Smith fans. It’s a movie made for all of us that weren’t even supposed to be here today. It has roof hockey, Mooby the golden calf, and some classic ’90s jams. Kevin Smith seems just as excited as we are for the release, as he’s taking his film on tour. Clerks III comes out in September, and don’t worry about the movie theaters; we assure you, they’re open.
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Clerks III: The Plot
Clerks was a movie shot to reflect a day in the life of Kevin Smith as he saw it, working at a convenience store. Clerks II felt more metaphorical as Dante and Randal became masters of their own destiny when they bought the Quick Stop to run it themselves. And if Clerks is informed by the life of Kevin Smith, then Clerks III will tell the story of Clerks and how Smith started making movies. While some fans think this is breaking franchise tradition, it may be closer to Smith’s voice than we realize.
Related: Kevin Smith’s Movie Theater Receives ‘Bomb’ Threats
For the Clerks III trailer, we see Randal have a heart attack like Smith did a few years ago. When Randal wakes up, he looks at his life and decides it isn’t much of a life at all. He sees how he just keeps watching the same old movies and is instantly inspired to make a movie instead. So what movie does he make? Clerks! He starts filming at the Quick Stop, much like Smith did, writing and filming events from his own life. There’s even a shot in black and white where a stranger points a gun at the camera, and before we hear a gunshot, Dante comes in from the background and says, “I’m not letting you kill me off in the third act! What if there’s a sequel?” Randal replies, “A sequel? What am I, a hack?” And Silent Bob points right at the camera and gives us a wink.
For those who don’t know, Clerks was originally meant to end with Dante being killed. He would have gotten shot, and the credits would have rolled with no music on the tragic death of the clerk that wasn’t even supposed to be there that day. But thankfully for us, Clerks didn’t end so darkly, and there was a sequel and a whole universe of fun Kevin Smith projects!
Clerks III: The Cast
Lionsgate
The movie has everybody! Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson return to the Quick Stop as Dante and Randal, respectively. And you literally couldn’t make a Clerks movie without Jay and Silent Bob. Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith will reprise their roles as everyone’s favorite stoners and smoke joints the size of a digeridoo.
A lot of the old recurring characters will be back as well. Trevor Fehrman will return as the other clerk Elias Grover. Marilyn Ghigliotti is back as Veronica. Jen Schwalbach is still Dante’s ex-fiancé Emma Bunting. And Rosario Dawson is the former Mooby’s manager and Dante’s current fiancé Becky Scott.
Related: Kevin Smith Reveals Wild Plot Details from Scrapped Clerks III Script
Clerks III has loads of special guest stars in true Kevin Smith fashion. Of course, Ben Affleck will be there, but the film will also feature Justin Long, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Fred Armisen, and Amy Sedaris. All four stars from Kevin Smith’s Comic Book Men will be there: Walt Flanagan, Bryan Johnson, Mike Zapcic, and Ming Chen. Fans think there could even be more surprises waiting for the premiere.
Release Date
Lionsgate
Clerks III has a release date set for September 13, 2022, and Kevin Smith will be taking his show on the road with a tour across North America. The movie will have a limited theatrical release working with Fathom Events. They’ll be putting the film into selected theaters from Tuesday, September 13th to Sunday, September 18th, so make sure to get your tickets now. The screenings will include special behind-the-scenes footage.
As for the tour, Smith revealed just before San Diego Comic-Com that the Clerks III: The Convenience Tour would start in Red Bank, New Jersey, on September 4th. After that, they’re going everywhere from Vancouver to San Francisco. Some early shows are already sold out, but more shows in more towns are being added. Kevin Smith will have a Q&A at each location with some VIP tickets, including a signed screenplay and a picture with the filmmaker. The theatrical release and the tour for Clerks III keep getting additional dates, so this premiere might get pretty big in the coming days.
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