Kevin Smith Talks Clerks 3
by Rupert Pupkin at . CommentsFor those of you not privy to industry moves, previously defunct Miramax has partnered with The Weinstein Company and the duo have announced plans to make sequels to many of Miramax's catalog films. It's somewhat ironic that Miramax, which was founded by brothers and power producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, has come limping back to its original owners after they left in 2003. Among the slate tossed around by the new partnership was another sequel to Clerks.
This was apparently news to Clerks and Clerks II director Kevin Smith, who responded, "I guess if someone was going to exploit the library for sequels, remakes, tv, I’d rather it be the devil I know. Nice to know there’s a home for ‘Clerks III’ if I ever wanted to make it, but hope it doesn’t become a home for a Clerks-anything if I’m not involved." His words seem to echo Joss Whedon's feelings surrounding the proposed Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot. Hit the jump for more!
While Smith professes that he's not involved in any new sequel plans, he points out that the Weinsteins now own the right to produce a sequel to many of his earlier films, but they'd have to be made without some of his most lovable characters.“Of course. I sold the movie to them in 1994. But I guess if someone was going to exploit the library for sequels, remakes, tv, I’d rather it be the devil I know. Nice to know there’s a home for ‘Clerks III’ if I ever wanted to make it, but hope it doesn’t become a home for a Clerks-anything if I’m not involved. Either way, I doubt my shit is even something they wanna re-do/remake. They own ‘Clerks’, ‘Chasing Amy’, ‘Jersey Girl’ and ‘Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back’. But then it’s further complicated by the Jay & Silent Bob of it all. They don’t own Jay & Silent Bob; I do. They own ‘Strike Back’, but they can’t make any flick that’d include Jay & Silent Bob (even a ‘Strike Back’ sequel) without my permission/license.
The only flick they own free & clear of me with no ties whatsoever, is ‘Jersey Girl’. And from personal experience, there’s little to no interest in a sequel or remake, unless it opens with JLo’s dead Mom busting out of her earthen grave, trampling her only begotten daughter’s copy of a Necronomicon as she eats her brains. If they wanna do THAT ‘Jersey Girl’ sequel, I’m totally in. But honestly, all those flicks are theirs to do with as they will. I can’t (and won’t) complain. At least the Guardians of Ga’Harvey are still in place, looking out for the dopey little (f)art flicks I made so long ago.”
While I don't think we need any sequels to any of Smith's films so far, that Jersey Girl/Evil Dead mashup would be rather hilarious. Seeing as how we're about to take a gander at Smith's first foray into horror with Red State, maybe one day we'll actually get it!