Kevin Smith’s ‘Clerks III’ Acquired by Lionsgate and Scheduled for Production Next Month

Lionsgate has acquired the rights to Kevin Smith’s Clerks III, in which he will be directing and writing the screenplay, according to Deadline. The film is currently in pre-production in New Jersey and is scheduled to begin production next month. This will be the third film in the franchise, with the first Clerks  (1994) being a cult classic.

Clerks III will follow Randal (Jeff Anderson) while he is recovering from a massive heart attack. He asks his fellow clerks Dante (Brian O’Halloran), Elias (Trevor Fehrman), Jay (Jay Mewes), and Silent Bob (Smith) to make a movie immortalizing his life at the convenience store that started it all. All the key original cast members are confirmed to return with producers Liz Destro and Jordan Monsanto also on board. 

Smith said, “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.”

The Clerks universe includes the original 1994 movie, 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, 2006’s Clerks II, and 2019’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. On July 23, Smith will premiere Masters Of The Universe: Revelation with Mark Hamill and Lena Headey on Netflix.