Kevin Smith Gives Clerks III Update, Says He Had One of Best Days on Set Ever

It seems Kevin Smith and his team are making good progress on the production of Clerks III. Lionsgate announced that it had purchased Smith’s third Clerks film a few weeks ago. Filming began on Smith’s 51st birthday. He took to Twitter to share yesterday’s first look at the returning Clerks cast. He noted that they had a particularly efficient day of filming. “Shot over 9 pages of CLERKS III yesterday and we still wrapped an hour early!” Smith tweeted. “It was one of the best days on a set I’ve ever enjoyed! Cast and Crew are killing it!”

The interview accompanying yesterday’s first look saw Smith explaining that, after going in a different direction with Clerks II, Clerks III will be a return to the roots of the original film. That includes filming some scenes in black and white.

“I love it so much, but the problem with Clerks II is it’s pure artifice to a large degree,” Smith said. “Clerks was based solely on reality. I woke up, I went to that store; crazy people came in; kids hung out outside and sold drugs; I had a friend who worked next door. All of it was very autobiographical. Clerks II is completely fabricated, right down to the fact that I never even worked in fast food.”

In a statement released at the time of Clerks III‘s announcement, Smith said, “There’s a saying from the Tao that goes something like ‘To be great is to go on. To go on is to go far. To go far is to return.’ Thanks to Lionsgate, we get to return to where it all started with almost the whole cast that started it all! And for the first time since the first time we ever made a movie in 1993, we’re shooting the entire flick on location in New Jersey, as an ode to both the enduring allure of cinema and the resourcefulness and lunacy of its storytellers. Years ago, Dante and Randal made me a filmmaker – so now it’s time I return the favor.”

Clerks III stars returning original Clerks stars Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, Brian O’Halloran as Dante Hicks, Smith as Silent Bob, and Jay Mewes as Jay. Rosario Dawson is back as Becky Scott, introduced in Clerks II. Liz Destro and Jordan Monsanto are producing.

Are you excited about Clerks III? Let us know what you think about it in the comments section. Clerks III is now filming.