"I Assure You, We're Open, Again" - First Look at 'Clerks III'
Kevin Smith and the Quick Stop Grocery crew are back in the first look trailer for Clerks III. The now infamous New Jersey convenience store takes center stage once again for a brand new story about the lovable clerks.
Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) takes the leading role for Clerks III. After suffering a massive heart attack, Randal views his recovery as a second chance at life. Together with fellow Quick Stop employee Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran), Randal decides to make a movie about their lives as employees of the convenience store. Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) take supporting roles as Randal’s movie comes to fruition. Rosario Dawson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, and Trevor Fehrman will be reprising their roles from the previous films in the Clerks series.
Clerks III is a homecoming of sorts for Smith. It’s a return to the film that was his big breakout, his home state of New Jersey, and a reunion of actors who have worked with Smith multiple times throughout his career. The trailer gives audiences a glimpse of Ben Affleck, Fred Armisen, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Justin Long in various cameos. Clerks III’s premise looks to be an ode to the collaborative process of filmmaking and seeing all of these familiar faces is sure to get fans excited.
It’s no surprise that Smith, being a huge comic book fan, has created a “universe” of his own in his career. The View Askewniverse is named after Smith’s production company. Clerks III marks the ninth film in the View Askewniverse, but the universe is not limited to films. It spans films, tv shows, and comics as well with Jay and Silent Bob making appearances in almost all entries to the universe.
The idea for Clerks III has been floating around since the Clerks II press tour in 2006. Smith had said that he would consider returning to these characters when they were in their 40s or 50s. Anderson was hesitant in agreeing to make Clerks II, so Smith wasn’t sure if he could get Anderson to agree to a third Clerks. In October 2019, Smith announced Anderson’s return which paved the way for Clerks III to begin production. While partially sidelined due to Covid-19, principal photography began in New Jersey in August 2021.
The original Clerks became a cult classic and was selected to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2019. Critics often point to the film as the best of what indie filmmaking can be. Smith’s original script was inspired by his time working at the Quick Stop convenience store that’s featured in all of the Clerks films. He continued to work at the store during the day while shooting Clerks at night.
Smith serves as writer/director for Clerks III and sees the film as a celebration of lifelong friends he’s made throughout his career. As much as it is nostalgic, the film is hopeful for the future as well.