'Clerks 3': Weinsteins pass, Kevin Smith still making

Kevin Smith has been working hard on Clerks 3 for a couple years now, although the project has transformed from a potential Broadway stage experience to a potential old-fashioned movie film for theaters. Smith also initially mused that Clerks 3 would be his last movie–an announcement which, following to the Soderbergh Rule of Auteur Retirement, precipitated a creative period during which Smith claims to have finished five scripts.

There were some theories that the Clerks threequel would be finished in time for the 20th anniversary of the original film, which arrived in theaters in October 1994 (the same month as Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption). However, Smith tells Screen Daily that the film’s planned May start date was pushed back after the Harvey and Bob Weinstein balked at the price. “I went in with a $6 million budget,” says Smith, “And [the Weinstein brothers] were, like, “Oh no, Kevin, this is too high.” Bob offered us distribution but they weren’t going to finance it.”

Smith was quick to clarify via Twitter that he still intends to make Clerks 3, raising a budget through non-Weinstein means:

The Weinstein Company did not immediately respond to EW’s call for a comment. It’s unclear if Clerks 3 will be Smith’s next movie after his yuletide creature-horror film Anti-Claus, but EW has reached out to Kevin Smith via his preferred method of communication.