Clerks III is happening, and to maximize the film's impact upon release, it should use Jay and Silent Bob Reboot's roadshow model. The threequel was confirmed by director Kevin Smith on October 1, 2019, and promises to conclude the saga of Randal and Dante's friendship, with Jeff Anderson reprising his role.
In a move inspired by Smith's personal life, Clerks III will begin after Randal survives a heart attack. After this near-death experience he comes to the realization that if had he actually died, there would be no-one around to preserve his memory. Enlisting the help of his friend Dante, the pair of slackers resolve to memorialize themselves in their own autobiographical movie. In documenting their daily lives at the Quick Stop, the two will effectively make Clerks. The premise is decidedly meta - a trope that audiences have come to expect from the View Askewniverse.
Smith's penchant for self-reference was on full display in 2019's Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. It heavily featured familiar characters from other Askewniverse films alongside Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith's stoner duo, and Smith in a dual role as both Silent Bob and a fictionalized version of himself. The film cheekily followed many of the same story beats as its predecessor, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, with the titular characters taking a road trip to Hollywood to reclaim the rights to Bluntman and Chronic, the comic book based on their likeness. With all of its in-jokes, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot was made with View Askewniverse fans in mind. Its fan-focused spirit was embodied by its unique roadshow release. Clerks III is a conclusion to a trilogy long in the making, and a roadshow would make its launch feel like a major event.
A roadshow theatrical release is the practice of touring a new film across theaters in major cities with limited reserved seating, similarly to a live theatre production. It began in the silent era, but had its heyday from the 1950s to the 1970s. The advent of stereophonic sound and widescreen were able to make going to the movies a special occasion. However, the model fell out of favor with the rise of multiplex theaters, and was succeeded by the modern limited release format.
For Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Smith revived the roadshow release. Beginning in New Jersey, he toured North America, presenting the film with a question-and-answer panel afterwards. What could have been a simple, quiet launch on a streaming service became a celebration, as well as an opportunity for fans to connect with each other and Smith himself. The roadshow tour also alleviated the risk of the lower-budget comedy getting lost in a sea of blockbuster wide releases and bombing. While the process was labor-intensive, it heightened the film's cultural relevancy and box-office reward, with Jay and Silent Bob Reboot having a per-theater revenue average that was even higher than Avengers: Endgame. To elevate Clerks III's significance and justify further financial investment in Kevin Smith's other directorial projects, it should also take to the streets.
While the COVID-19 pandemic hit theaters hard, with some closing permanently, a roadshow release of Clerks III could still be successful. Multiplexes struggled with physical distancing regulations, but drive-in theaters - another screening style that had fallen out of fashion - thrived. The two novel release methods could be combined to put the upcoming film in unexpected venues befitting Smith's offbeat style.