There was a time when hardcore Kevin Smith fans were unsure if Clerks III would ever happen. After years of delays and false starts, Smith seemed determined to make it happen. But it wasn’t his sheer force of will and determination that brought the movie to life: it was DVD sales.
Smith recently explained that the movie ended up being funded simply because of the fans and their DVD collections. While speaking at ComicCon, the director thanked the fans for their support (and money) which helped the movie finally be made after years of being in movie limbo.
“Lionsgate still makes DVDs and Blu-rays and sh*t,” Smith explained (via ComicBook) to the crowd of people who probably still own many DVDs. “They sold DVDs and Blu-rays of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. And, apparently, sold enough to reach out to us and say, ‘We sold so many f*cking DVDs and Blu-rays that if you ever want to make more of this Jay and Silent Bob bullsh*t, as long as it’s under this pricepoint, f*ck it, have a go at it and sh*t. The only reason we got to do that is because [of] bought hardware, kids. Thank you for that.”
There are two things to learn from this. One: never underestimate the power of fans and their extensive DVD collections and two: Kevin Smith curses a little bit too much!
Clerks III will finally get its theatrical release in September, nearly fifteen years after Clerks II arrived in theaters. The movie will follow Dante, Randall, and the Quick Stop crew as they make a movie about their Clerk adventures. So Meta! Get ready for the inevitable Clerks 4 in 2045.