''Clerks III'' is a 2022 American

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

comedy-drama film written, directed, and edited by

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...

and starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Austin Zajur, Jason Mewes, Rosario Dawson and Smith. It serves as a

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

to the

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

and

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

''Clerks'' films, and is the ninth overall feature film set in the View Askewniverse. In the film, Randal Graves, after surviving a massive

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

, enlists his friends and fellow clerks Dante Hicks,

Elias Grover This is a list of major and recurring characters in Kevin Smith's fictional universe known as the View Askewniverse. ''Clerks'' (1994) Dante Hicks Dante Hicks, played by Brian O'Halloran, is 22 (33 in '' Clerks II, 49 in Clerks III''), works ...

, and Jay and Silent Bob to make a movie about their lives at the Quick Stop Convenience store that started it all. The film had its world premiere on September 4, 2022, in

Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Incorporated in 1908, the community is on the Navesink River, the area's original transportation route to the ocean and other ports. Red Bank is in the New York metro ...

, before its release on September 13, by

Lionsgate Lions Gate, Lion Gate or similar terms may refer to: Gates *Lion Gate at Mycenae in Greece *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa, now in Turkey *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the gardens of Hampton Court Pala ...

. With a production cost of $7 million, not including additional marketing costs, the film underperformed, making a total of $4.7 million at the box office.

Plot

Fifteen years after Dante and Randal bought the Quick Stop

convenience store A convenience store, convenience shop, bakkal, bodega, corner store, corner shop, superette or mini-mart is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as convenience food, groceries, beverages, tobacco products, lotter ...

, the pair's lives continue much as before, including hockey games on the roof and hanging out with Jay and Silent Bob, who have taken over the former RST Video and turned it into a legal marijuana dispensary. Dante is still grieving over the deaths of Becky and their unborn daughter Grace after they were hit by a drunk driver years prior. One day, while Elias and his friend Blockchain are trying to sell their new NFT kites, which contain an image of the Buddy Christ, Randal suffers a severe

. Elias disavows

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

and decides to become a Satanist after blaming his faith for Randal's heart attack. After the surgery, Randal's doctor urges Dante to keep Randal happy while he recovers and warns him that he is also at risk. Randal decides he has wasted his life and needs a new purpose, declaring he will make a movie about his and Dante's lives at the Quick Stop. Becky's spirit appears to Dante, encouraging him to move on, and Dante briefly reconnects with his ex-girlfriend, Veronica. After a harrowing audition process, Randal decides he will not only write and direct but also star in the film as himself, alongside Dante in a supporting role. Rather than cast actors, they decide to cast their friends and actual customers to play themselves. This includes Jay, Silent Bob, and Veronica, who agrees after a sexual encounter with Dante. Dante takes on the producer role and convinces his ex-fiancée Emma to loan the production $30,000, with Dante's half of the Quick Stop as collateral. Silent Bob is made the cinematographer, deciding to shoot the movie in black-and-white, while Elias and Blockchain are hired as

production assistant A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a member of the film crew and is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production. The job of a PA can vary greatly depending on the budget ...

s. As the shoot for the tentatively-titled ''Inconvenience'' continues, Dante grows exasperated with Randal's micromanagement. Further, Dante is especially hurt by the fact that he is only a minor character in the script. After Randal tries to recreate the donkey show that took place at Mooby's, Dante has a

panic attack Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and Comfort, discomfort that may include palpitations, otherwise defined as a Tachycardia, rapid, Arrhythmia, irregular Heart rate, heartbeat, Hyperhidrosis, sweating, chest pain or discomfort, s ...

and leaves the set because the location reminds him of Becky. Later, a drunk Dante finally confronts Randal for never respecting him or acknowledging his support over the years, and for forcing him to relive the loss of his wife and child. Suddenly, he collapses, suffering a heart attack as well. When Randal decides to leave Dante at the hospital to continue work on the movie, Elias lambastes him for his selfishness and reveals Dante's deal with Emma. Consumed with guilt, Randal finishes editing the movie and sneaks back into the hospital with Jay and Silent Bob's help. He shows Dante the finished film, which he has re-edited so that Dante is the main character, declaring that the story was always about him. Dante watches the film with the spirit of Becky, touched by his friend's effort, before he peacefully dies. Sometime after Dante's funeral, Emma arrives at the Quick Stop to collect the $30,000 she loaned Dante, lest she assume his half of ownership of the store. Blockchain arrives and excitedly reveals that the NFT kites sold out immediately, yielding a profit of a million dollars. Elias, who has become Randal's best friend in Dante's place, pays Emma back. As Blockchain, Jay, and Silent Bob go outside to fly one of the NFT kites, Randal mourns Dante and is unknowingly joined by his spirit. During the credits, director

thanks the audience for watching the movie before reading some narration he cut from the final scene, where it is revealed that Randal continued to make movies until the age of 90, while still working at the Quick Stop.

Cast

* Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks * Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves * Marilyn Ghigliotti as Veronica Loughran * Rosario Dawson as Becky Scott * Trevor Fehrman as

* Jason Mewes as Jay *

as Silent Bob * Amy Sedaris as Doctor Ladenheim * Austin Zajur as Blockchain Coltrane * Jennifer Schwalbach Smith as Emma Bunting * Harley Quinn Smith as Millennium "Milly" Faulken *

Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...

as Boston John * Michelle Buteau as Lisa * Marc Bernardin as Lando *

Kate Micucci Kate Micucci ( ; born March 31, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, and musician who is half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates with Riki Lindhome. Some of her roles include Stephanie Gooch in '' Scrubs'', Ally in '' 'Til Death' ...

as Mary * Justin Long as Orderly Additionally, Fred Armisen, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Bobby Moynihan, Melissa Benoist, Chris Wood,

Anthony Michael Hall Anthony Michael Hall (born Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall; April 14, 1968) is an American actor, producer and comedian. After his film debut in ''Six Pack (film), Six Pack'' (1982) and a supporting role as Russell "Rusty" Griswold in ''Nat ...

Danny Trejo Danny Trejo (, ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. Known for his Danny Trejo filmography, large body of work as a character actor, films in which he has appeared in have grossed over $3.7 billion worldwide. A native of Los Angeles, Tr ...

, Ralph Garman, and '' Impractical Jokers Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, James Murray, and Joe Gatto all appear as actors auditioning for ''Inconvenience''. Various customers from the original ''

Clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and administ ...

'' reprise their roles for ''Inconvenience''. Other View Askew alumni cameos include John Willyung reprising his role as Cohee Lundin from '' Chasing Amy'', as well as

Scott Mosier Scott A. Mosier (born March 5, 1971) is an American-Canadian film producer, director and editor best known for his work with director Kevin Smith, with whom he occasionally co-hosts the weekly podcast, ''SModcast''. Early life Mosier was born ...

and Ethan Suplee each reprising their role of Willam Black from ''Clerks'' and ''

Mallrats ''Mallrats'' is a 1995 American buddy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, Priscilla Barnes and Michael Rooker. It is the second film in the View Askewnive ...

''. Smith's mother Grace, who played the Milk Maid in previous ''Clerks'' films, appears as an auditioner who is offended by the screenplay and declares the screenwriter's mother should be ashamed of them. Jake Richardson also appears as an auditioner, having previously played one of Jay and Silent Bob's customers alongside Suplee in ''Clerks II''.

Production

Development

During press for '' Clerks II'',

briefly discussed the possibility of a ''Clerks III''. Stating that "if there's ever gonna be a ''Clerks III'', it would be somewhere down the road in my 40s or 50s, when it might be interesting to check back in on Dante and Randal. But I don't know about Jay and Bob so much, 'cause at 45, leaning on a wall in front of a convenience store might be a little sad." Smith repeated this sentiment on one of the audio commentary tracks on the ''Clerks II'' DVD, to which Jeff Anderson jokingly replied, "Oh, don't get me started", referring to Anderson's well known doubts about making ''Clerks II'' when first approached by Smith. On March 29, 2012, Smith expressed his interest in producing ''Clerks III'' as a Broadway play after seeing the Theresa Rebeck comedy ''

Seminar A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some part ...

'' starring

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, wikt:languid#Etymology 1, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and b ...

, with whom Smith had previously worked on ''

Dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...

''. On December 10, 2012, Smith released a special '' Hollywood Babble-On'' episode, ''Hollywood Babble-On #000: GIANT SIZED ANNUAL # 1: CLERKS III, AUDIENCE 0'', in which he revealed greater details on his plans for ''Clerks III''. Smith stated that an ongoing audit over residuals from ''Clerks II'' with

The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company, LLC (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein on March 10, 2005. TWC was one of the larg ...

(TWC) was causing a delay in several key ''Clerks III'' cast and crew members, including Anderson and

, from coming on board until the audit was resolved. Smith also revealed that he would like to crowdfund ''Clerks III'', either through

Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

Indiegogo Indiegogo is an American crowdfunding website founded in 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, California. The site is one of the first sites to offer crowd funding. Indiegogo allows peo ...

, with contributors receiving anything from DVDs, posters, and even roles as extras in the film. On June 5, 2013, he changed his mind on crowdsourcing, stating "I've got access to money. And worst-case scenario, I can put up my house."

Original script (2013–2017)

Smith worked on a script for ''Clerks III'' from March to May 2013, stating when he completed it that it was "''

The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...

''" of the series. This script featured a story about Randal having a nervous breakdown after the Quick Stop is destroyed during

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

, and trying to manage it by getting in line for a film called ''Ranger Danger'' a year before it opens. Randal would have gained a small cult following and set up his own miniature Quick Stop, only for there to be a shooting at the theater. In July 2013, Jason Mewes stated that they were now just waiting to hear back from TWC about funding. On September 26, 2014, Smith stated on his ''Hollywood Babble-On'' podcast that he was glad that he made ''

Tusk Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine tooth, canine teeth, as with Narwhal, narwhals, chevrotains, musk deer, water deer, muntjac, pigs, ...

'', so he could go on to make ''Clerks III'': Filming was initially scheduled for in May 2015, but the production was put on hold to film another sequel, '' Mallrats 2''. However, by June 2016, the plans for a ''Mallrats'' sequel had been turned into plans for a ''Mallrats'' TV series.

Production stalls

The initial plans to film ''Clerks III'' came to a halt in 2017, when Smith announced that one of the four leads, whom he later revealed to be Anderson, opted out of reprising his role despite a completed script. At the time, Smith doubted the film would ever be made. In 2018, Smith suffered a near-fatal heart attack after one of his comedy shows. This experience inspired him to rewrite the ''Clerks III'' script from scratch, doing away with the original planned storyline. Smith later reflected that the original script strayed too far from the original ''Clerks'', noting it was written by "a guy who didn't know a thing about death" and he was ultimately glad it was never made. Smith later reused the original opening scene, featuring Jay and Silent Bob getting arrested (alongside Dante and Randal in the original ''Clerks III'' script) for '' Jay and Silent Bob Reboot''. In July 2019, Smith announced that he would do a live reading of the original, now-aborted ''Clerks III'' script at the First Avenue Playhouse in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. The reading was held on August 3, 2019. That same month, Smith revealed at San Diego Comic Con that he was writing a new script for ''Clerks III'' and promised to make the film.

New script (2019)

On October 1, 2019, Smith confirmed on

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

that ''Clerks III'' was happening and that Jeff Anderson agreed to reprise his role as Randal. The new script follows Randal, after surviving a heart attack, and Dante making a movie about their lives at the store, a plot initially conceived as a film adaptation of '' Clerks: The Animated Series'' titled ''Clerks: Sell Out''. In January 2021, Smith announced the script was complete. In July 2021,

obtained the rights to produce and distribute the film, while also confirming Rosario Dawson and Trevor Fehrman would reprise their roles of Becky Scott and

from ''Clerks II'' respectively.

Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began on August 2, 2021, in

. Filming wrapped on August 31, 2021.

Post-production

Post-production Post-production, also known simply as post, is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording indivi ...

was completed on February 13, 2022, with Smith announcing a trailer was slated to debut in May. On May 28, 2022, Smith stated he viewed the first cut of the trailer and was set to release it during

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...

2022, which would run from July 21–24. On June 29, 2022, Smith announced the trailer would instead drop online on July 6. The film is dedicated to Lisa Spoonauer, who played Caitlin Bree in the original ''Clerks'' and '' Clerks: The Animated Series''. Spoonauer died in 2017.

Release

''Clerks III'' had its world premiere on August 24, 2022, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, followed by a roadshow tour that began September 4, 2022, in Red Bank, New Jersey. It was released on September 13, 2022, by

and Fathom Events. The film was previously scheduled for release in July 2022. The film had a limited release on September 16 in the United Kingdom.

Home media

The film released digitally on October 14, 2022, and was released on 4K Ultra HD,

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

on December 6, 2022.

Reception

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, ''Clerks III'' has an approval rating of 63% based on 126 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "''Clerks III'' isn't even supposed to be here todaybut this surprisingly emotional return to the Quick Stop wraps up the trilogy in fan-pleasing fashion."

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

assigned the film a weighted average score of 50 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Portal bar, Comedy, Film 2022 black comedy films 2022 independent films 2022 films 2020s American films 2020s buddy comedy films 2020s English-language films American black comedy films American buddy comedy films American independent films American sequel films Films about criticism and refusal of work Films about filmmaking American comedy-drama films Films directed by Kevin Smith Films scored by James L. Venable Films set in New Jersey Films shot in New Jersey Films about death Films with screenplays by Kevin Smith Lionsgate films Red Bank, New Jersey in fiction SModcast Pictures films View Askew Productions films View Askewniverse films Films about grief English-language black comedy films English-language independent films English-language buddy comedy films