Clerks 3 first look image reveals reunited and older cast members from the first two movies. 1994’s stoner comedy Clerks announced the arrival of writer-director Kevin Smith as a darling of the indie movie scene. In 2006 he followed it up with the sequel Clerks II, which unfortunately did not receive quite as much acclaim as the original.

Now almost thirty years after the first Clerks introduced the View Askewniverse and its recurring heroes Jay and Silent Bob, Smith will revisit the convenience store that started it all for Clerks III. The original movie’s stars Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson are back as slacker Quick Stop employees Dante and Randal, as are Clerks II additions Rosario Dawson as Becky and Trevor Fehrman as Elias. Of course, Smith is also back as Silent Bob as is Jason Mewes as his constant companion Jay. And there are bound to be some interesting cameos given all the big stars who’ve been pulled into the View Akewniverse over the years.

Related: Why Clerks III Should Copy Jay & Silent Bob Reboot's Genius Release

A newly released first look image from the now-shooting Clerks III gives fans a great look at main cast members O’Halloran, Anderson, Dawson and Fehrman, all back together in the famous Quick Stop from the first two movies. See the image in the space below (via Vanity Fair):

Clerks 3 First Look Image

Story-wise Clerks III will cover some very autobiographical territory for Smith as it sees the character of Randal suffering a massive heart attack (Smith himself nearly died from an on-stage coronary episode three years ago). After his near-death experience, Randal sets out to make a movie with Dante about their experiences in the Quick Stop (the story was in fact originally meant for a Clerks animated movie that never got made). As Smith himself put it in a recent tweet, “It'll be a movie that brings us back to the beginning—a return to the cradle of civilization in the great state of #newjersey.”

There have in fact already been plenty of Clerks III glimpses sent out to the world thanks to Smith, who is not shy about sharing behind-the-scenes looks at his projects via social media. This includes an image of Smith back in his Silent Bob hoodie from the original film (it spent the last twenty years on the wall of his comic book shop according to Smith). Smith has also said Clerks III will be partially shot in black-and-white, in another nod to the series’ roots (the first film was of course entirely in black-and-white while the sequel was in color, a decision that disappointed some fans).

With its meta-comedy approach and autobiographical touches, Clerks III seems to be something of a summing up movie for Smith. There's no doubt the director still has his fans though he's not quite the indie darling he was back in the '90s after Clerks announced his arrival. Indeed his filmmaking record has been spotty in recent years, with some big misses mixed in with mild hits. Clerks 3 does not yet have a release date.

More: How Jay And Silent Bob Reboot Mended Ben Affleck & Kevin Smith's Friendship

Source: Vanity Fair