Clerks III star Rosario Dawson explains how the movie's long wait ultimately improved the highly anticipated sequel. The ninth installment in Kevin Smith's "Viewaskewniverse" and a direct sequel to 2006's Clerks II, Clerks III reunites Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson as Quick Stop clerks Dante Hicks and Randal Graves, respectively. Dawson, Marilyn Ghiglioti, Trevor Fehrman, Jason Mewes, and Smith himself also reprise their respective roles as Becky Scott, Veronica Loughran, Elias Grover, Jay, and Silent Bob.
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During the movie's press tour, Smith openly talked about how his 2018 heart attack pushed him to do Clerks III and reshape its main storyline. He integrated his personal experience into the film, with the character of Randal having a heart attack, pushing himself to ask Dante, Elias, Jay, and Silent Bob to make a movie about the Quick Stop convenience store and the characters that populate it. And according to Dawson, that aspect of Smith's personal life caused the movie to ultimately be a better product than it once was.
Speaking exclusively with Screen Rant in anticipation of the film's release, Dawson explains how the multiple delays allowed the movie to be released the way it was supposed to be. Because of the experiences he went through over the past few years, Smith was able to make the film a more emotional experience. Had he not released Clerks III this year, the movie wouldn't be the same as it is today, and wouldn't have the right amount of poignancy and emotional levity. Check out what she says on Smith's script below:
Yeah, I think so. I think a lot was different. He had had a previous script that he ended up shelving to do Tusk. And I think this film is really coming out of exactly when it was supposed to, and the storytelling that it was, and thank God he survived his Widowmaker heart attack to make it. Because he hadn't made this film up until now, and so much of what he went through is embedded into the story.
I think it strikes the right chord; it strikes the right note. As grave and heavy as it can get at times, it still resonates and it's really relatable. It feels really special and poignant, so it's good. It was worth the wait.
It's no surprise that Clerks III will be an emotional ride. Not only is the project one of Smith's highly anticipated sequels and one that has been in the works for a long time, but it's also one which will celebrate what came before in the Viewaskewniverse, which is one of the most successful comedy franchises in film history. And from Dawson's quotes, it looks like the movie will be even more emotional than intended because of Smith's personal life, which has fueled him to make the movie as soon as possible.
Clerks III might not be the final movie in the Viewaskewniverse, since Smith has said that he is working on a possible sequel to Mallrats. However, it's unclear if audiences will ever see Dante and Randal at Quick Stop again, which is one of the many reasons why Clerks III will be worth the wait for die-hard fans of Smith and his comedies. And from what Dawson says, the movie has the potential to send many of Smith's iconic characters off in an emotionally powerful fashion.