'Jay and Silent Bob Reboot' Begins Production on One-Year Anniversary of Kevin Smith's Heart Attack

Exactly one year ago today, filmmaker Kevin Smith suffered a major heart attack that nearly ended his life. Today, he's marking that moment very firmly on the living side of things by starting production on Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.

Smith took to Instagram to document the occasion, sharing a photo of himself along with Jason Mewes as Jay and Jason Lee as Brodie Bruce on the set of the film.

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One year ago today, I almost died. So today, I’m living it up on with @jaymewes and Jason Lee on Day 1 of my new flick @jayandsilentbob Reboot! Thanks to @saban_films and Universal for the loot to make this epic, @jordanmonsanto and @destrofilms for making it happen, @jenschwalbach and @harleyquinnsmith for humoring my goofy bullshit one more time, and #jasonmewes for standing beside me all these years while I do the hardest thing I can personally ever do, either in film or in real life: simply shut the fuck up. I couldn’t think of a better scene with which to start the shoot than the return to the Mall with Brodie Bruce. The three of us gathered for a couple hours last night to run the lines and realized we first rehearsed together waaaaay back in the mid-90’s. It may be 24 years later and we may have 6 kids between us, but Jay, Lee and me partied like it was 1995, giggling while adding jokes and finding inflections. The Oscars were on in the background during our practice and I couldn’t help but feel relief when the “In Memoriam” montage ended and I wasn’t in it. We picked 2/25 as the Reboot start date *intentionally*, to celebrate the fact that I did not become Silent Bob forever 365 days ago. But after a blissful couple hours of making pretend with my friends on the set of my 14th film, I’m starting to think I *did* die in that operating room after all. Because what could be more Heavenly than this? #KevinSmith #jayandsilentbob #jayandsilentbobreboot #jasonlee #jaymewes #neworleans #brodiebruce #wwambassador #movie

A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on Feb 25, 2019 at 12:01pm PST

"One year ago today, I almost died," Smith wrote. "So today, I'm living it up on with @jaymewes and Jason Lee on Day 1 of my new flick @jayandsilentbob Reboot! Thanks to @saban_films and Universal for the loot to make this epic, @jordanmonsanto and @destrofilms for making it happen, @jenschwalback and @harleyquinnsmith for humoring my goofy bullshit one more time, and #jasonmewes for standing beside me all these years while I do the hardest thing I can personally ever do, either in film or in real life: simply shut the f**k up. I couldn't think of a better scene with which to start the shoot than the return to the Mall with Brodie Bruce."

Smith went on to explain that starting production today was deliberate, but that he's enjoyed making the film so much thus far that maybe he's in heaven after all.

"The Oscars were on in the background during our practice and I couldn't help but feel relief when the "In Memoriam" montage ended and I wasn't in it," he continued. "We picked 2/25 as the Reboot start date *intentionally*, to celebrate the fact that I did not become Silent Bob forever 365 days ago. But after a blissful couple hours of making pretend with my friends on the set of my 14th film, I'm starting to think I *did* die in that operating room after all. Because what could be more Heavenly than this?"

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot may end up being "heavenly" for fans of Smith's work as well. The film is expected to be released this fall. It comes 25 years after Clerks debuted and will have the same 21-day shooting schedule, a quick turnaround that creates a very "full circle" moment for Smith.

"It's kind of nice to go full circle. But at least, when we started, you know, last time those 21 days, like that was a person who'd never made a movie in his entire life working with people who never made movies their entire lives. Now you're working with like Jedis so, you know, that 21 days is way different," said in a recent interview.

Are you looking forward to the Jay and Silent Bob sequel? Let us know in the comments below!

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is expected sometime this fall.