Kevin Smith gets financing for Clerks III

Earlier this year, Kevin Smith reported that the Weinsteins had passed on financing Smith's proposed budget of $6 million for Clerks III. Last year Smith had said that CLERKS III would be his last film venture, but that was all before a movement that asked podcast listeners to vote #WalrusYes. Now in the wake of TUSK, Smith took to his Hollywood Babble-On podcast to talk a little about the lackluster box-office response for the film, but also delivered a silver lining.

Here's what Smith had to say:

TUSK was the absolute bridge to CLERKS III. Because of TUSK I got my financing for CLERKS III. And honestly, that wouldn’t have happened without Tusk. A year and change ago I was desperately trying to get CLERKS III made for the 20th anniversary and that desperation, I must have reeked of it because I couldn’t f*cking find money and shit. But it was Tusk, people going ‘Holy f*ck, what else do you have?’ and I was like ‘Clerks III‘ and they’re like ‘done’. So, everybody that’s like, ‘he failed, he failed’, I’m like ‘thank you, I failed into CLERKS III.”

While TUSK hasn't exactly brought in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY numbers, it did reignite Smith's passion for film. For what it's worth, not only will we get a CLERKS III but the remainder of the True North Trilogy in YOGA HOSERS and MOOSE JAWS. In the podcast, Smith says that a lot of haters of TUSK stated that "No one had asked for that film." As he retorts, there are few films not based on an established property that people do ask for. After all, no one asked for CLERKS. As long as Smith is making what he wants, I'm totally game for watching.

For those up for checking out Kevin Smith's latest, TUSK is now in theaters.