Clerks III

Clerks III is an American comedy film written, produced, directed, and edited by Kevin Smith. It is intended to serve as the sequel to the 1994 and 2006 films, and the ninth overall feature film set in the View Askewniverse. Starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Austin Zajur, Jason Mewes, Rosario Dawson and Smith; the film revolves around Randal Graves, who after surviving a heart attack, wants to make a movie with Dante Hicks about their lives at the Quick Stop.
The film had its world premiere on September 4, 2022, in Red Bank, New Jersey, before its wide release on September 13, by Lionsgate.
==Premise==
==Cast==
*Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks
*Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves
*Marilyn Ghigliotti as Veronica Loughran
*Rosario Dawson as Becky Scott
*Trevor Fehrman as Elias Grover
*Jason Mewes as Jay
*Kevin Smith as Silent Bob
*Amy Sedaris as Doctor Ladenheim
*Austin Zajur
*Ben Affleck
*Fred Armisen
*Sarah Michelle Gellar
*Michelle Buteau
*Marc Bernardin as Lando
*Justin Long
==Production==
===Development===
During press for Clerks II, Kevin Smith briefly discussed the possibility of a Clerks III. Stating that "if there's ever gonna be a Clerks III, it would be somewhere down the road in my 40s or 50s, when it might be interesting to check back in on Dante and Randal. But I don't know about Jay and Bob so much, 'cause at 45, leaning on a wall in front of a convenience store might be a little sad." Smith repeated this sentiment on one of the audio commentary tracks on the Clerks II DVD, to which Jeff Anderson jokingly replied, "Oh, don't get me started", referring to Anderson's well known doubts about making Clerks II when first approached by Smith.
On March 29, 2012, Smith expressed his interest in producing Clerks III as a Broadway play after seeing the Theresa Rebeck comedy Seminar starring Alan Rickman, with whom Smith had previously worked on Dogma.
On December 10, 2012, Smith released a special Hollywood Babble-On episode, Hollywood Babble-On #000: GIANT SIZED ANNUAL # 1: CLERKS III, AUDIENCE 0, in which he revealed greater details on his plans for Clerks III. Smith stated that an ongoing audit over residuals from Clerks II with The Weinstein Company was causing a delay in several key Clerks III cast and crew members, including Anderson and Scott Mosier, from coming on board until the audit was resolved. Smith also revealed that he would like to crowdsource Clerks III, either through Kickstarter or Indiegogo, with contributors receiving anything from DVDs, posters, and even roles as extras in the film. On June 5, 2013, he changed his mind on crowdsourcing, stating "I've got access to money. And worst-case scenario, I can put up my house."
Smith worked on a script for Clerks III from March to May 2013, stating when he completed it that it was "The Empire Strikes Back" of the series. In July 2013, Jason Mewes stated that they were now just waiting to hear back from The Weinstein Company about funding.
On September 26, 2014, Smith stated on his Hollywood Babble-On podcast,#183: September 26, 2014 - Hollywood Babble-On that he was glad that he made Tusk: 
There were plans to start shooting Clerks III in May 2015, but these were put on hold to film another sequel, Mallrats 2. However, by June 2016 the plans for a Mallrats sequel had been turned into plans for a Mallrats TV series.
The initial plans to film Clerks III came to a halt in 2017, when Smith announced that one of the four leads, whom he later revealed to be Jeff Anderson, opted out of reprising his role despite a completed script. At the time, Smith doubted the film would ever be made. In 2018, Smith suffered a near-fatal heart attack before one of his comedy shows. This experience inspired him to rewrite the Clerks III script from scratch, doing away with the original planned storyline.
In July 2019, Smith announced that he would do a live reading of the original, now-aborted Clerks III script at the First Avenue Playhouse in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. The reading was held on August 3, 2019. That same month, Smith revealed at San Diego Comic Con that he was writing a new script for Clerks III and promised to make the film.
On October 1, 2019, Smith confirmed on Instagram that Clerks III was happening and that Jeff Anderson agreed to reprise his role as Randal. The new script will follow Randal, after surviving a heart attack, and Dante making a movie about their lives at the store, a plot initially conceived as a film adaptation of Clerks: The Animated Series titled Clerks: Sell Out.
In January 2021, Smith announced the script was complete. In July 2021, Lionsgate obtained the rights to produce and distribute the film, while also confirming Rosario Dawson and Trevor Fehrman would reprise their roles of Becky Scott and Elias Grover from Clerks II respectively.
===Filming===
Principal photography began on August 2, 2021, in Red Bank, New Jersey. Filming wrapped on August 31, 2021.
===Post-production===
Post-production was completed on February 13, 2022, with Smith announcing a trailer was slated to debut in May. On May 28, 2022, Smith stated he viewed the first cut of the trailer and was set to release it during San Diego Comic-Con 2022, which would run from July 21–24. On June 29, 2022, Smith announced the trailer would instead drop online on July 6.
==Release==
Clerks III is set to have its world premiere on September 4, 2022, in Red Bank, New Jersey, followed by its wide release on September 13, by Lionsgate and Fathom Events. The film was previously scheduled for release in July 2022.
==References==
==External links==
*Official Website
*
Category:2020s buddy comedy films
Category:2022 comedy films
Category:2022 films
Category:American black comedy films
Category:American buddy comedy films
Category:American comedy films
Category:American independent films
Category:American sequel films
Category:English-language films
Category:Films about criticism and refusal of work
Category:Films directed by Kevin Smith
Category:Films set in New Jersey
Category:Films shot in New Jersey
Category:Films with screenplays by Kevin Smith
Category:Lionsgate films
Category:Red Bank, New Jersey in fiction
Category:SModcast Pictures films
Category:View Askew Productions films
Category:View Askewniverse films
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:2022 American films
Category:2022 in film
Category:Rated R
Category:Pages containing Mature Content