Kevin Smith – either you’re a devout follower of his cinematic career, or you think he’s the bottom of the cinema barrel. The maker of such films as Clerks, Mallrats, Zack and Miri Make A Porno, and Red State has long voiced his disapproval of Hollywood norms and suggested retirement, but recently declared his upcoming hockey comedy Hit Somebody would be his final curtain call. Or so we thought.
Due to a recent shift that saw Hit Somebody be crunched from two films back into one, and then again cut into a six-part miniseries, it seems Smith still wants to go out on the big screen. And hell, if you’re Kevin Smith, why not treat your cult-like fans to exactly what they want – another Clerks film.
In an effort to give one final middle finger to Hollywood, Kevin Smith has announced via Twitter his final film will in fact be Clerks III, returning once again to the lives of Dante and Randal. Here’s the tweet to confirm this rumor:
So with the HIT SOMEBODY shift, the minute Jeff Anderson signs on, my last cinematic effort as a writer/director will be CLERKS III. #TaDa
Smith has always been a director faithful to his characters, especially the iconic duo of Jay and Silent Bob, so it’s really no surprise he’d want to go out crafting one final journey for the film franchise that put him on the map. As a note though, he’ll only do the film if Brian O’Halloran’s co-star Jeff Anderson (Randal) signs on, but hell, why wouldn’t the frequent collaborator want to help Kevin Smith go out in a (hopeful) blaze of glory?
For those who forgot or didn’t even see Dante and Randal’s escapades at Mooby’s, Clerks II visited the then middle-aged slackers as they partook in the same perverted conversations and childish tomfoolery Clerks became famous for, and ended with a donkey show for the ages. I think we can all assume Clerks III would see our dynamic duo another ten years in the future, checking in on how far each character has progressed since taking back the Quick Stop. No word on if co-stars Rosario Dawson or Trevor Fehrman have expressed any interest yet though.
So, love him or hate him, Kevin Smith’s directorial ride is finally coming to an end. Say what you will, but I’ll be one who definitely is going to miss what Smith brought to his films – a nonchalant attitude of personal pride and distinctive, thoughtful filmmaking other directors trade for big bucks. Well, that, and jokes about ass-to-mouth.
So what does everybody think about Smith’s decision? Are people going to see Clerks III as one final cash-in before he rides off into the sunset? Do people even want to see Dante and Randal one last time? Will you miss Smith once he’s vanished? Let us know in the comments!
Source: [The Film Stage]