"Clerks" Sequel A-coming (official it seems)

[Juu-kuchi]

Director Kevin Smith Plans 'Clerks' Sequel

Fri Aug 27, 8:10 PM ET

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES - Kevin Smith is making another convenience store run.

The writer-director of "Dogma," "Chasing Amy" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" told the Associated Press on Friday that he has begun work on a sequel to "Clerks," his homemade indie classic from 1994.

That $27,000 movie, shot at night in a store where Smith worked, chronicled the adventures of Dante and Randal, two guys who talk about life, death, sex and movies while working at neighboring stores.

The sequel picks up 10 years later.

"It's about what happens when that lazy, 20-something malaise lasts into your 30s. Those dudes are kind of still mired, not in that same exact situation, but in a place where it's time to actually grow up and do something more than just sit around and dissect pop culture and talk about sex," Smith said during an interview at his Hollywood office. "It's: What happened to these dudes?"

A new 10th anniversary DVD of "Clerks" debuts Sept. 7, and Smith said working on that three-disc set inspired him to write about what became of those characters.

The sequel — titled "The Passion of the Clerks" — is set to begin shooting in January. Miramax Films, which turned the original into a cult-hit after buying it at the Sundance Film Festival (news (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&p=%22Sundance%20Film%20Festival%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news&cs=nw) - web sites (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=web-storylinks&p=Sundance%20Film%20Festival)), plans to distribute the follow-up.

"It's funny, it's very raw, insanely foul-mouthed. In many ways it's the antithesis of 'Jersey Girl,'" Smith said, referring to his recent PG-13 comedy with Ben Affleck (news (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/celeb/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&p=%22Ben%20Affleck%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news&cs=nw)) as the widowed father of a little girl.

Smith is also writing the screenplay for a movie version of "The Green Hornet," but no longer thinks he will direct it. The "Clerks" movie has moved to the top of his to-do list.

He said he called Jeff Anderson, who played the combative video-store worker Randal, and Brian O'Halloran, who was the besieged-by-strangeness convenience store employee Dante, to run the idea by them first.

"Jeff was actually very protective of 'Clerks,'" Smith said. "Jeff was like, 'Are you sure you want to do this? That movie means a lot to people and do you want to go back?' I thought about it honestly, and it would seem chicken to not give it a shot just because I'm afraid of (messing) with the first film."

So far, he said he has gotten only positive responses from the people who have read the script, so he decided to move forward with it. Both O'Halloran and Anderson are signed on, and Jason Mewes, will return as stoner Jay, the "hetero life-mate" of Smith's stoic Silent Bob.

"I'm sure there will be naysayers who say, 'Oh my God, it's an opportunistic grab at a buck,' but it's not. We're doing it for nothing," Smith said. "We're going to do it insanely inexpensively. The budget will be somewhere between 250 grand and $5 million."

The original was shot pre-dawn, and most of the actors worked for free and then went straight to their day-jobs with little or no sleep.

"This time around we'll afford ourselves the luxury of nice 12-hour days," Smith said. "And people can get paid." Taken from here. (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040828/ap_en_mo/film_clerks_sequel)

I have the strangest feeling that this stems from the lacking performance of Jersey Girl.

[Shnay]

I have two thoughts about this. The first is that I think the premise itself is an interesting one. The characters in Clerks did a great job capturing the youth of the period it was made in. Checking in on how these characters have changed, through natural progression and through changes in society, could be very interesting.

The second thought is that this sequel is the antihesis of everything the original movie stood for. I think Smith has changed as a filmmaker (partly for the better, partly for the worse) over the years, as one would expect any creative person to change. However, what made Clerks special was the smiple premise, cheap budget, and everyday characters, and I don't think that can be captured now. Characters like Jay and Silent Bob have become pop culture icons themselves, with cartoon incarnations spouting catch phrases and toys available at Suncoast. It's hard to believe that Jay is the stoner from down the block when we've seen him be a Prophet helping to save humanity (be it in his own, unique way, of course). The characters, and Smith as a filmmaker, no longer have the simple, everyday quality that fans originally related to and enjoyed.

That's not to say these characters or Smith haven't done anything worthwhile since Clerks...Dogma and Chasing Amy are probably much better movies if you look at them critically. But Clerks has always been my favorite because of the everyday quality I described above.

I think that there may be a way to make this sequel interesting, but I highly doubt it will capture the characteristics that made the original such a unique and memorable hit.

[Behonkiss]

And we're getting the movie version of the cartoon on DVD when?

[JDuncan]

I really don't want to see this happen, I'd hate to see a Clerks sequel done in the same manner as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

[Tanooki]

i thought kevin smith said "jay and silent bob strike back" was the END. it would sure seem so. we got to see all the characters from the jay and silent bob universe again and it tied up some loose ends (the monkey). but, i will go see another clerks movie, especially if it's in black and white :p

GK

[Lord Dalek]

Back to View Askew huh? Well, if thats what people really want out of Kevin Smith's movies then he's obliged.

[screw on head]

It'd be nice to see another go'round in the View Askew-niverse. I really liked Clerks, and would gladly see the follow up, well, when it's eventually released on DVD that is ;).

Oddly enough, during a Kevin Smith moderated panel at Wizard Con Phillie, I realized I was standing right next to Brian O'Hallaron for the entire panel, realized it was actually him after a few quick glances, and I effectively almost fell over :D. Very nice guy though, but true to the 'only seen on screen' actor cliche, I thought he'd be taller, or shorter, I don't know...

[Sandoz]

Mixed feelings on this. It could be good (the "10 years later" take on it has potential) but it would be a tough job recapturing the feeling of the original, especially after TAS.

[Calhoun07]

i thought kevin smith said "jay and silent bob strike back" was the END. GK
The end of Jay and Silent Bob. Why would those characters have to appear in the sequel as they did in the first? The purpose of the movie is to show how the characters have grown. Having known a few "Jay and Silent Bob" type people in my day, they tend to grow up and have families and lead responsible lives. I doubt we will see 30 something stoners on the corner of a video store doing the same bits as they did 10 years ago. I hope that J&SBSB was the end of those characters as we know them, and we see them grow up in the sequel. It could work.

[Brent Long]

This sounds fine to me, and while marketting can get into this like it did with other films and the cartoon. Just remember Clerks was basically a random day in the lives of two conveniance store buddies. This premise could lead to more stories. In my opinion Clerks is by far the best choice in the View Askewniverse to do sequals.

Mallrats: While this was somewhat similar to Clerks in random day nature, and a sequal was planned (Mallrats 2: Die Hard in the Mall). This movie just basically can't have ongoing adventures. This mainly has to do with the fact that their future was explained at the end of Mallrats and many went on with larger lives.

Chasing Amy: Absolutely not, this was a story that revolved around Alyssa and Holden. You can't do a movie of Holden and Banky going to more Comic Book Conventions either.

Dogma: Like Chasing Amy, Dogma told it's tale. all of the characters who were introduced in this film have no reason to come back. The only ones I could see coming back are Metatron and God for cameo appearances only.

Jay and silent Bob Strike Back: This is the second best likely idea after Clerks, and while I wouldn't call this an atrocious idea. Smith wants to be known for more than just stoner humor, and while they will appear in
Clerks 2. They didn't steal the original Clerks, Dante was still the main focus.

[kaine23]

Ah, it's a good day to be from NJ.

[William C. Maune]

i thought kevin smith said "jay and silent bob strike back" was the END. it would sure seem so. we got to see all the characters from the jay and silent bob universe again and it tied up some loose ends (the monkey). but, i will go see another clerks movie, especially if it's in black and white :p

GK

I read somewhere recently that after Kevin Smith said that it was the end, Jason Mewes asked him if it was really the case. Smith made a deal with Mewes that if he got himself cleaned up (he was on heroin or something) that he would then consider using the characters again. Apparently Mewes has now been clean for something like a year and a half. While Smith did say before that it would be the end, if he does bring the characters back and this is the reason, I think it is a worthy cause.

[Terminatah]

Every time someone would ask Kevin Smith, "Where's the Clerks sequel?" he would shoot back, "It's called Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." I always thought this was a cheap reply, as it's not really a sequel to anything. It's just a bunch of dumb stuff happening. So by now declaring that he will make a Clerks sequel, he is finally proving himself an idiot, so I thank him.

I look forward to Clerks 2, as well as An Evening with Kevin Smith 2, which is also in production.

-Terminatah

[William C. Maune]

Also, in the credits of Dogma it said something like "Dante and Randall will return in Clerks 2: Hardly Clerkin'"

[Terminatah]

Also, in the credits of Dogma it said something like "Dante and Randall will return in Clerks 2: Hardly Clerkin'"That was a joke.

-Terminatah

[Reed Richards]

actually, given the fact that Mewes' alcoholism and drug use was likely precipitated by the movies he was in and the money he made off of them, a return to that money source might return him to his old ways. Smith should have said that would be that, but that he would let mewes be in something else as someone else, rather than as the drug user glorified by so many :P




I read somewhere recently that after Kevin Smith said that it was the end, Jason Mewes asked him if it was really the case. Smith made a deal with Mewes that if he got himself cleaned up (he was on heroin or something) that he would then consider using the characters again. Apparently Mewes has now been clean for something like a year and a half. While Smith did say before that it would be the end, if he does bring the characters back and this is the reason, I think it is a worthy cause.

[William C. Maune]

Yeah, I must say I like your idea better.

[Eddie G.]

Why This Will Be Good: Kevin is a great writer and director.
Why This Will Suck: Kevin tries too hard. Jay and Silent Bob Strike back was nothing more than fan service. Clerks and and Chasing Amy had sex jokes and bad words because it made sense. I talk about sex and use foul words all the time, so do many people I know, it's realistic. But in JSBSB it was just fanservice. With Jersey Girl the guy was trying to prove something when he should have just made a movie and see what the rating and reaction was instead of trying to make a PG-13 mainstram film.
Why This Will Be Good: Clerks rocked.
Why This Will Suck: Clerks was a stand alone story with a lot of depth (it would have had more depth if Dante died like he should have). Having a sequel with Kevin's more wacky and unrealistic sense of humor and direction may not turn out right and could cheapen the first one.
Why Kevin Should Make This Film: It could serve as a better ending than JSBSB and will make fans happy.
Why Kevin Shouldn't Make This Film: If it sucks he will be killed.

[Frank Castle]

I'd rather see a new season or movie of Clerks:TAS.

[Duke]

Hmm...I wonder. You think the restraining order Dante & Randal slapped on Jay & Silent Bob in J&SBSB will still be there, or will it be gone for no reason?

[James]

actually, given the fact that Mewes' alcoholism and drug use was likely precipitated by the movies he was in and the money he made off of them, a return to that money source might return him to his old ways. Smith should have said that would be that, but that he would let mewes be in something else as someone else, rather than as the drug user glorified by so many :P
I don't really think playing a character who does drugs has any relevance to what he did in real life. Mews seems to be the sort who has always done that sort of thing. I've known people like him. I would guess Mews was dabbling far before he did Clerks. Yes, his movie career provided him with the money and maybe lifestyle, but a highly successful job could have done the same.

Being in a film about drug use isn't going to effect Mews anymore than a film about non drug use, or one about 3 legged elephants. Addiction doesn't work like that.

Smith is a good writer. Comics and movies alike. He pens his movies to fit genre. Yes, JASBSB was silly - it was meant to be. It wasn't meant to be Clerks. I look forward to Clerks 2. People assume that because a writer/director does a movie one way, they cannot go back and do another akin to an older movie. I don't think that's the case. I like View Askew, I look forward to more regardless of how good it is compared to Clerks.

[Harper]

Dante and Randal were always my favorite characters in the Askewnaverse, so I'm defienitely looking forward to more Clerks. Does this mean they aren't going to do the Animated Clerks movie, though? I miss the "why are we walking like this?" gag...