It looks like Jay and Silent Bob will strike back – again. On Saturday,
Aug. 28, famed “Jersey Girl” director Kevin Smith announced that he will begin shooting “The Passion of the Clerks,” a follow up to his first film, “Clerks,” in January of 2005. The announcement came as a delightful
surprise to Jay and Silent Bob fans, who were promised that the popular duo would not grace the silver screen again after 2001ʼs “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.”The original 1994 independent film, which was shot at the convenience store where Kevin Smith himself worked at that year, told the story of Dante (Brian OʼHalloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson), two clerks in their mid-twenties getting through life by doing just enough work to not get fired, putting up with drug dealers Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), and talking about sex, relationships, and pop culture. “The Passion of the Clerks” follows the original by 10 years, explaining to fans what exactly happened to their beloved
QuickStop and RST employees. Smith gave fans a brief synopsis about the sequel. “Itʼs 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 itʼs time to actuallygrow up and do something more than just sit around and dissect pop culture and talk about sex. Itʼs: What happened to these dudes?” Smith said, in an interview ith CNN.
While the original film was shot in grainy black and white for a petty
$27,575, the sequelʼs budget will range somewhere between $250,000 and $5 million. This is significantly less than the “Jersey Girl” budget, which was priced at a steep $35 million. According to producer
Scott Mosier, a decision hasnʼt been made yet as to whether or not the film would be shot in New Jersey, L.A., or both.
Before the announcement of “The Passion of the Clerks,” View Askew fans expected the comic book-based film, “The Green Hornet,” to be Smithʼs next project. Miramax, the studio that has produced four out of Smithʼs current six films, hired Kevin to both write and direct “The Green Hornet.” Kevin later remarked that, although he would finish the screenplay, he was not yet certain if he would still direct the film. “I got into this business to make movies like ʻClerksʼ and that was the first movie I made. You look at ʻEl Mariachi,ʼ you can see what Robert wanted to do from the get-go. I had no interest in sh** like that. I like movies where people sit around and talk. I never got into this business to blow sh** up or make people run,” said Smith. to Empire Online.
While many applauded Kevin Smith for bringing back his lovable characters, others fear that the new film will ruin the original. Even
some of the actors had their doubts. Smith recalled a conversation with
Jeff Anderson during the CNN interview. “Jeff was actually very protective of “Clerks.” Jeff was like, ʻAre you sure you want to do this?
Thatmovie means a lot to people and do you want to go back?ʼ I thought
about it honestly, and it would seem chicken to not give it a shot just because Iʼm afraid of (messing) with the first film,” he said.
While some moviegoers are still hesitant, Smith has full confidence in his decision to give the foulmouthed clerks a second shift. He said, “This is the funniest thing Iʼve ever written. Itʼs also really poignant. I canʼt wait to shoot it, and I canʼt wait ʻtil you all see it.