Clerks 3 Release Date, Cast, Plot, And Trailer - What We Know So Far

Quick Stop may be closed, but "Clerks" itself is still open for business. Back in 1994, the buddy-comedy movie focusing on two best friends navigating the mundane thrills of working retail won the hearts of many and was quickly catapulted into cult classic status. Now, roughly 16 years since "Clerks II" and nearly 30 years since the original movie's release, the third installment of "Clerks" is finally on the way.

The return of "Clerks" is sure to attract fans of the first two movies, as well as younger generations who may be curious about the series. These prospective viewers may be eager to learn more about what the movie is going to be like, who among the old cast is returning for the sequel, which fresh faces will be joining the franchise, and, of course, when the movie will finally be available for the masses to enjoy. Fortunately, there's a good answer to all these questions and more, courtesy of a variety of sources.

Avid movie viewers and "Clerks" fans alike will be happy to hear that they will not have to wait much longer for "Clerks III," as the release of the film is imminent. However, those wanting to see the movie in theaters will have to plan accordingly, as its rollout is set to be rather unorthodox.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate and Fathom Events will only be premiering "Clerks III" in general theaters for a mere two dates: Sept. 13 and 15. However, if fans miss these initial screenings, all hope is not lost. According to Collider, subsequent dates for theatrical screenings of the movie are set to be announced at 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego later this July.

Apart from these plans, "Clerks III" will also have a special "Convenience Tour" of theatrical screenings alongside a live Q&A session with Smith. The tour will begin with the movie's special world premiere in Red Bank, New Jersey on Sept. 4 and will continue into the early days of October across several major cities including New York and Los Angeles.

"'Clerks III' is the definition of event cinema, especially if you are a Kevin Smith fan or a maven of independent cinema," Eda Kowan, Vice President of Lionsgate said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter).

The first two "Clerks" movies spawned a slew of extremely memorable characters, some of which even transcended the franchise into pop culture iconography. Fortunately, the upcoming third installment is set to bring back much of the core cast from the previous two entries.

Brian O'Holloran and Jeff Anderson will once again headline as the loveable retail-working duo Dante Hicks and Randal Graves. Marilyn Ghigliotti will reprise her role from the first "Clerks" as Dante's ex-girlfriend Veronica Loughran, while Rosario Dawson returns as restaurant manager Becky Scott from "Clerks II" alongside Trevor Fehrman as the religiously conflicted employee Elias Grover. Surely to the delight of many fans as well, Jason Mewes and Smith will appear as the iconic delinquent duo Jay and Silent Bob (via Deadline).

The movie is also set to feature some pretty major celebrity cameos. Ben Affleck, Fred Armisen, and Sarah Michelle Gellar all appear in the film as characters (or potentially just themselves) auditioning for a movie, and it's not too hard to imagine that a few more surprises might be stuffed in the cast list beyond who has already been confirmed.

The initial plot details for "Clerks III" indicate that it's set to be Smith's most meta-infused project yet. Catching up with the Quick Stop team years down the line, the movie sees Randal suffer a heart attack while on the job. The health scare prompts the veteran employee to face his own mortality and, when he realizes he hasn't done anything extraordinary with his life, he becomes inspired to make an autobiographical movie focusing on his and Dante's misadventures at Quick Stop. Indeed, "Clerks III" will entail the main characters essentially making an in-universe version of the original "Clerks."

Aside from the project's obvious focus on lampooning the production process of the original film, another major element of the movie also draws from its creator's past. Smith suffered a heart attack in early 2018, and the experience prompted him to write a new script for "Clerks III" that would center upon the characters dealing with getting older and the problems that come with it. Yes, Smith's health issues inspired him to make a movie about a character's health issues inspiring them to make a movie. There are layers here.

"You can't slack after a heart attack. It's that simple," Smith said in an interview with Vanity Fair. "That being the motivating factor in our story just gives us a way to leap off into the theme of: There is less time ahead of us than there is behind us at this point."

Fans eager to see an early glimpse of what "Clerks III" has in store are now able to do so with the release of the movie's first official trailer. Smith himself premiered the trailer on his own official YouTube account on July 6, treating fans to their first look at a couple scenes from the movie.

At just under two minutes long and set to the fittingly grunge-tinged rock melody of "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit, the trailer provides a good look at the story and tone of the film. It mostly focuses on events that likely take place early on in the movie, such as Dante's heart attack and subsequent inspiration to create a movie based on his own life. But while the trailer doesn't reveal every possible detail about the movie, it definitely nails the trademark "Clerks" tone, with its emphasis on jabs at popular culture (including a few playful prods at Disney and their management of "Star Wars"), frequent instances of self-referential humor, and embrace of stoner culture.

Even more details on "Clerks III" are sure to come out in the coming months, but for now, audiences can look forward to the film's release in September.