Kevin Smith has been trying to get sequels to Clerks 2 and Mallrats off the ground for a while, but each hit their own roadblocks. However, it looks like Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back will be the horse that makes it to the end of the race. The sequel Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is officially happening at Saban Films, and here's what Smith had to say about it:
Last February, I almost died. So on the one year anniversary of my widow maker heart attack, as a celebration of life and a big ol’ F you to Death, my best friend and I will be rolling cameras on a sequel/remake/reboot of a movie we first made nearly twenty years ago! In Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back our herbal heroes found out Hollywood was making a movie based on them, so they journeyed out to Hollywood to stop it. But I’ve learned so much as a storyteller and have grown immensely as a filmmaker since then, so audiences can expect something completely different: In Jay & Silent Bob Reboot our herbal heroes find out Hollywood is making a reboot of the old movie that was based on them, so they journey out to Hollywood to stop it again. I offer my (literal) undying thanks to our amazing partners at Saban and Universal for making this dream come true and backing this cinematic silliness!
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a 2001 stoner-comedy that starred two slackers who appear as recurring characters in a number of Kevin Smith's films. Smith plays Silent Bob while Jason Mewes stars as the loudmouthed Jay. The film followed the two of them as they road trip to Hollywood to stop a movie based on their likeness. In a tongue-in-cheek move, the sequel will follow the almost same exact plot, only this time the two are trying to stop a reboot.
In addition to Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, the reboot/sequel/remake will feature a number of returning players from the cast of the original movie, as well as a "fresh new crop of cameos from the worlds of movies, TV, music, and podcasting," according to the press release.
As for what Jason Mewes had to say about the sequel, he's excited to get to play an even older version of a man-child:
I’m tired of doing Shakespeare all the time so it’ll be nice to get back to playing Jay again. It may be 25 years since I first played the idiot man-child from Jersey but this time’s going to be the best because I’ve really grown into the role of idiot man-child in my old age.
Watch Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes talk about their return in this new video:
The sequel has been in development for a while, and it seems to be a project that Kevin Smith is excited about, so kudos to him! The filmmaker suffered an almost life-ending heart attack last year and it's clear he wants to make this film a priority. There's no release date yet, but stay tuned for future updates.
