Martin Scorsese Was Not Happy With Kevin Smith Because of Something Missing From Clerks

Kevin Smith is known for many films, but it was Clerks‘ release in 1994 that put him on the map. The director recently made an appearance on IMDb’s Movies That Changed My Life podcast and talked about Clerks as well as his upcoming Mallrats sequel, Twilight of the Mallrats. In fact, he revealed that the movie was originally going to be “Die Hard in a mall.” Smith also shared a hilarious story about the legendary filmmaker, Martin Scorsese. Apparently, the man known for Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, The Departed, and much more wasn’t too happy with a moment in the end credits of Smith’s first feature.

Smith explains that in the end credits of Clerks, he thanked filmmakers Hal Hartley, Richard Linklater, Jim Jarmusch, and Spike Lee. The message read, “Thank you for leading the way.” He revealed that Illeana Douglas, who was friends with Smith and appeared in Chasing Amy, was involved with Scorsese from 1988 to 1997. Douglas once told Smith that she was there the night Scorsese watched Clerks. Naturally, Smith was thrilled by the idea that the iconic director watched his film. When he asked her what Scorsese said, she replied, “Well, at the end of the movie, he read that… and he said out loud, ‘Oh, they led the way?’”

Hopefully, Smith will take the time to thank Scorsese in Clerks III! Smith has been very open about his plans for Clerks III for many years now, with the project going through various forms. Now, after years of development and differing drafts, it seems like the third film in the series will finally go in front of cameras in the near future. Smith has previously broken down the overall plot of the film, and a recent tweet revealed that the new movie will (unsurprisingly) take place almost entirely at Quick Stop.

Recently, Smith spoke with ComicBook.com’s Chris Killian in the latest edition of Talking Shop, and discussed everything from the Snyder Cut to his Mallrats sequel. You can watch the full interview in the video above, but here’s what he had to say about the Snyder Cut: “As someone who makes movies, it’s sad to see someone’s vision interrupted. I honestly would like to see the story continued and concluded.” Of course, it’s since been announced that HBO Max will release Zack Snyder’s Justice League sometime next year.

Smith’s latest movie, Jay & Silent Bob Reboot, is now available for home viewing.