Kevin Smith reveals similarities between ‘Clerks III’ and the original

If the key to an authentic Clerks movie is New Jersey, then Clerks III will be devilishly real.

That’s what writer/director/producer/editor/promoter/star Kevin Smith affirmed in a chat with Screen Rant. Before divulging the Jersey-centricity of the upcoming installment, Smith explained why that state is so important to the state of the franchise—and why Clerks II suffered due to its Jerseylessness.

“I love Clerks II; it’s one of my favorite films I’ve ever made. But we spend all of the movie away from Quick Stop—and Quick Stop is the nucleus, man. It’s the rock from which all the waters flow; it’s where all the ley lines cross. We shot Clerks II mostly in Buena Park, California, so there was that aspect. Is it really a Clerks movie if you’re not in New Jersey?”

Smith shot the first Clerks at a real-life convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey, where he worked at the time. He filmed during inconvenient overnight hours on a tiny budget that he self-financed, and with locals that he self-persuaded. As such, New Jersey and its people are the foundation of not just the Clerks franchise, but Smith’s View Askewniverse. Clerks III is his homecoming; his first film shot entirely in his home state since 1993.

“This time around, because of the heart attack and because the timing worked out, we got to shoot the entire movie in New Jersey. Which is the first time I’ve done that since the first movie I ever made.”

Adding to its Jerseyness, Clerks III is set to premiere in Red Bank, New Jersey, on Sep. 4.