It’s not controversial to say Kevin Smith’s filmmaking career isn’t nearly as big as it was a couple of decades ago. He’s still making films, but by and large, those films are getting small runs in theaters and he’s mainly appealing to his podcast listeners for support. But if he’s able to make “Dogma 2” happen, then perhaps it could be one of his bigger films in recent memory.

Continue reading ‘Dogma 2’: Kevin Smith Developing A Sequel To His Religious Comedy at The Playlist.

Kevin Smith has carved an interesting niche for himself. Long gone are the days where he gets a big budget to make one of his comedies. He’s truly an indie filmmaker, yet again. But that isn’t stopping him. And now, he’s mining his own past for the upcoming film, “The 4:30 Movie.”

READ MORE: Kevin Smith Breaks Down ‘Dogma’ Rights Issues & Says Harvey Weinstein Is “Holding It Hostage”

As seen in the trailer, “The 4:30 Movie” tells the story of a teen who finally, somehow, lands a date with his dream girl.

Continue reading ‘The 4:30 Movie’ Trailer: Kevin Smith Returns With An ’80s Teen Comedy at The Playlist.

When people talk about the best films in Kevin Smith’s filmography, it doesn’t typically take long before “Dogma” is brought up. “Dogma” is, by far, his most ambitious film, telling the story of two fallen angels attempting to find a loophole to earn their way back into Heaven. But if you search all the streaming services and go to your local Best Buy (those exist still, right?), you won’t be able to find “Dogma.” And according to Kevin Smith, there’s only one person to blame— Harvey Weinstein.

Continue reading Kevin Smith Breaks Down ‘Dogma’ Rights Issues & Says Harvey Weinstein Is “Holding It Hostage” at The Playlist.

Kevin Smith broke out in a big way when “Clerks” debuted in 1994. His black-and-white comedy about two slacker convenience store employees was filmed on a shoestring budget but was filled with so much heart and clever dialogue that it turned Smith into an indie cinema darling. Since then, you could argue that the filmmaker has been chasing that high, trying to recapture the magic of his original film, with decidedly mixed (sometimes terrible) results.

Continue reading ‘Clerks III’ Review: Kevin Smith Returns To His Slacker Roots With Surprising Maturity & Heart at The Playlist.

It was announced last week that Warner Bros. Discovery would indeed be combining streaming services Discovery+ and HBO Max into a single app that will launch in the United States next summer. This has led many to believe that various television projects being developed at HBO Max that haven’t started filming could be on the chopping block as the two services will have to manage content costs. Some of those projects at HBO Max have been DC Comics-related with things like a “Green Lantern” show and multiple things connected to J.J.

Continue reading Kevin Smith Says DC Series ‘Strange Adventures’ Is Dead At HBO Max & Wanted Nicolas Cage To Play Bizarro at The Playlist.

Last week, it was revealed that Warner Bros. Discovery had shelved a nearly $90 million budgeted superhero film with “Batgirl.” The movie confused many as the film was mostly completed, and on the company’s earnings call back on Thursday, it was stated they would only release films they “believed in.” 

Director Kevin Smith, who has worked on many comic book movies or TV projects, has thrown his own two cents into the controversial move.

Continue reading Kevin Smith “Baffled” At The “Bad Look” To Cancel ‘Batgirl’ When ‘Flash’ Star Ezra Miller Is Causing Grief at The Playlist.

Kevin Smith‘s entire career is a kind of navelgazing, either about pop culture, his own life or his own art. So, it’s not really much of a surprise his third film in the “Clerks” franchise, simply titled “Clerks III,” is a meta affair that looks back on Smith’s own career. “The film is predicated on the idea that Randal survives a heart attack, a massive heart attack, quite like I did, and then winds up, you know, deciding that he’s wasted his life,” Smith told Vanity Fair last year while describing the plot. “But before he dies, he wants to memorialize himself.

Continue reading ‘Clerks III’ Trailer: The Quick Stop Goes Meta In Kevin Smith’s Threequel at The Playlist.

You really can’t talk about Ben Affleck without talking about Matt Damon. The duo will forever be linked together, thanks in no small part to their Oscar-winning turn as co-screenwriters on “Good Will Hunting.” Even though, after that film, they mostly worked on separate projects, they still remained good friends. Where would the world be without the friendship of Affleck and Damon? Sarcasm aside, it appears that the world might not have experienced it in such an overt way if not for Kevin Smith. 

Continue reading Matt Damon Says Kevin Smith “Saved” ‘Good Will Hunting’ & Is The Reason The Film Got Made at The Playlist.

Kevin Smith is a go-to name among indie filmmaking and comic book pop-culture. But it didn’t start out that way for the director. The new documentary “Clerk” examines Smith’s entire career through the groundbreaking “Clerks” to executive producer on Netflix’s “Masters of the Universe: Revelation.” The film also delves into the life of this intriguing cinematic figure — who notably survived a heart attack in 2018. 

Continue reading ‘Clerk’ Trailer: New Doc Charts The Rise Of Indie Filmmaker/Geek Icon Kevin Smith at The Playlist.

Whenever you see an interview with someone that works with Marvel Studios, often they’ll joke about the studio sending snipers and muscle to keep people from revealing spoilers or leaking information. This is often why interviews with Marvel Studios people are pretty dry and don’t offer many revelations. Well, according to Kevin Smith, there might not be snipers looking to prevent spoilers from leaking to the public, but there is a “secret police.”

READ MORE: New ‘Eternals’ TV Spots Show The Humor And Action In Chloé Zhao’s Superhero Film

Speaking on his Fatman Beyond podcast, Smith talked about what he knows about the lengths Marvel Studios will go to make sure spoilers don’t leak.

Continue reading Kevin Smith Says There’s A “Marvel Secret Police” For Rumor Control, Laying Traps To Catch Leakers at The Playlist.

It has literally been more than seven years since we first started talking about Kevin Smith going back to the Quick Stop to make “Clerks III.” Well, after a number of false starts, it appears the gang is getting back together officially for “Clerks III,” which is heading into production later this summer.

READ MORE: Kevin Smith Says He Will Include The COVID-19 Pandemic In His Upcoming ‘Mallrats 2’

According to Lionsgate, the studio has given the green light to “Clerks III,” the newest tale from writer-director Kevin Smith.

Continue reading Kevin Smith’s ‘Clerks III’ Is Officially Happening At Lionsgate & Will Begin Production Next Month at The Playlist.

Netflix is bringing viewers back to Eternia with “Masters of the Universe: Revelation.” The series marks the first new episodes to be produced in over 20 years. However, unlike other attempts to change or alter the entire franchise, this project stays true to its roots. The premiere episode promises the familiar as “…a cataclysmic battle between He-Man and Skeletor leaves Eternia fractured and the Guardians of Grayskull scattered throughout the land.

Continue reading ‘Masters Of The Universe: Revelation’ Trailer: Kevin Smith Helps The Power Of Grayskull Return In July at The Playlist.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage, and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching. 

Since we last met, a flurry of prestige new releases have hit the streaming services – awards season in full swing, it seems, even this peculiar, couch-bound version of it.

Continue reading The 11 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘The Trial Of The Chicago 7,’ ‘American Utopia’ & More at The Playlist.

No stranger to peculiar horror-comedy concepts (that, admittedly, don’t always work), Kevin Smith has found a new niche subject for his horror-comedy anthology “Killroy Was Here”, debuting the first trailer during his Comic-Con@Home panel on Saturday. The panel was an extension of an annual one-man talk from Smith that’s part stand-up, part promotion, as the filmmaker also revealed bits from his upcoming Netflix animated TV series “Masters of the Universe: Revelation”.

Continue reading ‘Killroy Was Here’ Trailer: Kevin Smith Shares New Horror-Comedy Anthology at The Playlist.

Earlier this week, “Justice League” actor Ray Fisher made headlines when said that Joss Whedon‘s behavior on set was “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable” after he took over Zack Snyder to finish the DC superhero film. Now, more allegations are coming to light, and this time it’s Kevin Smith who has comments from the film’s VFX team who corroborate Fisher’s experience on “Justice League.”

READ MORE: ‘Justice League’ Producer Says Accusations Against Joss Whedon Are “Categorically Untrue”

On the most recent episode of Kevin Smith’s FatMan Beyond podcast, Smith and co-host, writer Marc Bernadin, discussed the news before Smith shared a conversation he once had with members of the special effects team who worked on “Justice League” who had similar experiences to Ray Fisher.

Continue reading Kevin Smith: VFX People Say Joss Whedon Also Trash Talked Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’ at The Playlist.

When you think of Kevin Smith films, a few things immediately come to mind. First, the dialogue is often clever, if not overly wordy, particularly in his earlier work (“Clerks,” “Chasing Amy,” “Dogma”). Next, there are bound to be plenty of dick jokes, accompanied by “snoochie boochie” and other nonsense phrases. And finally, he’s going to always include some social commentary about the state of the world, the global economy, and various other issues affecting society.

Continue reading Kevin Smith Says He Will Include The COVID-19 Pandemic In His Upcoming ‘Mallrats 2’ at The Playlist.

It’s no secret that Hollywood accounting is a shady way of making even the most successful of blockbusters never turn a profit, so it’s no surprise that convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein would be great at making his most successful movies appear to be flops. One of the films that, on paper, still isn’t the obvious success the public knows it to be is the 1994 breakout hit “Clerks,” from which Kevin Smith still hasn’t received full royalties.

Continue reading Kevin Smith Says Harvey Weinstein Refused To Pay Him Royalties For ‘Clerks’ at The Playlist.

If you’re a fan of Disney and fantasy fiction, you are probably well aware of the mid-2000s novel series titled “The Kingdom Keepers.” Originally spanning seven novels (then expanded upon with a sequel series), ‘Kingdom Keepers’ told the story of a group of holograms that fought the evil Disney villains at the theme park when the lights went out and all the humans went home. For many, it’s a lovely way to tie in the various IPs into a fun, YA story.

Continue reading Kevin Smith Explains Why Disney Killed His ‘Kingdom Keepers’ Streaming Series at The Playlist.

It’s a bit difficult to talk about the current state of entertainment journalism when you actually write and edit for a website devoted to entertainment journalism without coming off a bit like a self-righteous dick. That being said, it’s important for readers to have information to better help them make decisions about which outlets are worth believing and which might not be as reputable. That distinction can easily be seen in recent days thanks to Kevin Smith and a rumor about “Spider-Man 3.”

READ MORE: ‘Masters Of The Universe: Revelation’ Announces Star-Studded Voice Cast That Reunites Batman And Joker From ‘Batman: The Animated Series’

A few days ago, during his “Fatman Beyond” podcast, Kevin Smith said that he saw a rumor that Charlie Cox, who played Daredevil on the Netflix/Marvel series of the same name, might make an appearance in the upcoming “Spider-Man 3” starring Tom Holland that is set to begin filming later this year.

Continue reading The Kevin Smith/’Spider-Man 3′ Situation Illustrates Why Rumors Shouldn’t Always Be Reported at The Playlist.

It seems Kevin Smith has harnessed the power of Grayskull to hire a stellar cast for his animated series “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” which includes Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lena Headey, Jason Mewes, Justin Long, Mark Hamill, and Kevin Conroy.

READ MORE: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4: New Teaser Promises A Wintry Russia & The Return Of Hopper

The Hollywood Reporter writes that the series is being described as “anime-style” which will focus on “the unresolved storylines of the iconic characters in the He-Man universe, picking up where they left off decades ago.” So at least it seems like it will not be a prequel or remake, but a sort of sequel.

Continue reading ‘Masters Of The Universe: Revelation’ Announces Star-Studded Voice Cast That Reunites Batman And Joker From ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ at The Playlist.

You really shouldn’t shit on a guy that miraculously recovered from a major, life-threatening heart attack and went on to make a film that is one of the most personal of his career. But when that guy is Kevin Smith and the film is “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot,” you can’t just give him a free pass, right? That movie isn’t good and Smith hasn’t to wowed us with a film project since…uh, “Clerks?” (Maybe “Chasing Amy,” but upon rewatch recently, that film has not aged well.) So, forgive our pessimism when the filmmaker announced that after “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot,” he’s still not done with the View Askewniverse, specifically “Mallrats.”

READ MORE: ‘Jay And Silent Bob Reboot’ Flirts With Heartfelt Maturity, But Can’t Resist The Dumb Dick Jokes [Review]

Last fall, Smith broke the news that he was deep into development on a new script for “Clerks III,” which is a film that he’s been trying to get off the ground for years.

Continue reading Kevin Smith Is Once Again Developing A ‘Mallrats’ Sequel But Isn’t Sure If ‘Clerks III’ Will Be First at The Playlist.

What are our children, if not reboots of ourselves? This is the type of question stoners may ponder deep into the night and probably the situation Kevin Smith found himself in while formulating the storyline for his new sequel/reboot/remake/satire/parody/pothead comedy, “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.” And when the holds the attention on this central theme, Smith’s latest comedy actually rises above the director’s own sophomoric, ridiculous tendencies. Though not for long.

Continue reading ‘Jay And Silent Bob Reboot’ Flirts With Heartfelt Maturity, But Can’t Resist The Dumb Dick Jokes [Review] at The Playlist.

It’s hard to have grown up in the ’90s and not be familiar with Kevin Smith‘s brand of slacker comedy. Between 1994 and 1999, Smith basically became the spokesman for a misfit generation of geeky basement dwellers with his films  “Clerks,” “Chasing Amy,” “Mallrats,” and “Dogma.”

READ MORE: Kevin Smith Responds To Martin Scorsese: “Who Is Jesus If Not A Superhero?”

What bound all of those lo-fi 90s movies together, beyond their DIY, stitched-together spirit, sophomoric jokes, and (arguably unearned confidence), was their zealous enthusiasm about geeks inheriting the earth and chutzpah-y, can-do-it worldview.

Continue reading Kevin Smith Talks ‘Jay and Silent Bob Reboot,’ How Seth Rogen Made Him A Stoner & Much More [Interview] at The Playlist.

Continue reading Kevin Smith Responds To Martin Scorsese: “Who Is Jesus If Not A Superhero?” at The Playlist.

Recently, while out and about doing press for the upcoming “Jay and Silent Bob: Reboot” film, Kevin Smith announced that contracts were signed and he was bringing the story of “Clerks,” which he began 25 years ago, to an end with the upcoming “Clerks 3.” Even though the idea of a threequel in the “Clerks” series has been floating around for years, the filmmaker promised that the idea he has for the new film is completely new.

Continue reading ‘Clerks 3’: Kevin Smith Reveals The Meta Plot To His Long-Awaited Franchise Finale at The Playlist.