Over the past several years, filmmakerKevin Smithhas been talking about making sequels to his first two films, withClerks IIIandMallrats 2both being developed extensively. At one point, theMallratssequel was going to become a TV show, but today the filmmaker announced that his next project will actually be a remake of his 2001 comedyJay & Silent Bob Strike Back. The filmmaker announced the news with a lengthy statement on Instagram. Here’s the first half of that statement below, where he reveals what happened to both theClerks IIIandMallrats 2projects.
“This is not a drill! This is an actual image from my laptop! Yes, Kids - @jayandsilentbob are coming back! Here’s the story: Sadly,Clerks IIIcan’t happen (one of our four leads opted out of the flick). So I worked on a #Mallrats movie instead… which also didn’t happen because it turned into a #Mallrats series. I’ve pitched said sequel series to 6 different networks only to find no takers thus far. Mind you, I’m not complaining: nobody gets to make everything they wanna make in this business (do they?). And I’ve been lucky to make anything at all, there’s so much competition out there, so many much cooler ideas from fresh folks. And besides: I had #comicbookmen and then @tuskthemovie and @yogahosers (which all came together so crazy quickly), and the podcasts and #fatmanonbatman. With all of that, how could I bitch about noClerks IIIorMallrats 2?”
Kevin Smithgoes on to explain onInstagramthat, thanks to his success in directing popular episodes of The CW’sSupergirlandThe Flash, he put his own sequels aside. The filmmaker then reveals he spent the last month writingJay and Silent Bob Reboot, which may even start shooting as early as this summer. Here’s what he had to say in the remainder of his social media statement.
“Then when I started directing @thecw shows, it was such a slice of Heaven on Earth, I happily put my Askewniverse sequels to the side. Since I soldClerksandMallratsyears ago, they’re owned by others, which limits my moves with my own material. I don’t mind: back in the day, all I ever wanted to do was sell my stuff so I could be in the movie biz in the first place. So I don’t ownClerks,Mallrats,Chasing AmyorDogma… But I DO own #jayandsilentbob. So while I love playing with someone else’s new toys on @cwtheflash and @Supergirl, I’m getting eager to play with my old toys again in the inter-connected View Askewniverse I spent the first half of my career creating. And so all last month, I had the time of my life laughing while writingJay and Silent Bob Reboot, a fun flick in which the Jersey boys have to go back to Hollywood to stop a brand new reboot of the oldBluntman & Chronic Moviethey hated so much. It’s a tongue-in-cheek, silly-ass satire that pokes fun at the movie business’s recent re-do obsession, featuring an all-star cast of cameos and familiar faces! And I already met with the good folks at Miramax and they’re into it, so I’m hoping we’ll be shooting in the summer! Never give up, kids. You CAN do anything you want in life, so long as you’re patient and malleable.”
What’s interesting is this statement doesn’t mention the third film in his “True North Trilogy,“Moose Jaws, which follows the Canadian horror-thrillersTuskandYoga Hosers. During an interview last year,Kevin Smithspoke about a conversation he had withJason Mewes, where he talked about bringing Jay and Silent Bob into the story as the “Captain Quint” characters, although it was decided thatKevin Smith’s Silent Bob would actually die in this story, after getting, “eaten by a f—ing moose.”
While it isn’t clear if that plan is still in place forMoose Jaws, perhaps that’s why thisJay and Silent Bob Rebootproject is going forward first, so Silent Bob can be killed off in a seemingly gruesome fashion inMoose Jaws. The originalJay and Silent Bob Strike Backfollowed the title characters as they tried to shut down theBluntman and Chronicmovie, featuring cameos from numerous “Askewniverse” characters, plus an all-star supporting cast featuringShannon Elizabeth,Eliza Dushku,Ali Larter,Will Ferrell,Jason Lee,Seann William Scott,Judd Nelson,Jon Stewart,Tracy Morgan,George Carlin,Carrie Fisher,Chris Rock,Jamie KennedyandMark Hamill,Jason Biggs,James Van Der Beek,Ben AffleckandMatt Damon, along withWes Craven,Shannen DohertyandGus Van Santplaying themselves. Take a look atKevin Smith’s Instagram photo featuring the title page of his new script forJay and Silent Bob Reboot.
