Fans of Kevin Smith can rest easy today. The famously chatty man behind his alter ego, Silent Bob, has returned to the View Askewniverse at last and dropped a trailer for Jay and Silent Bob Reboot during San Diego Comic-Con.
Smith has been trying to get back to the characters that made him famous after years doing other projects like Tusk and Yoga Hosers, and directing episodes of television, mostly for CW’s slate of superhero shows.
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot returns us to Smith’s most famous characters as they once again attempt to stop the production of a movie about them. Smith’s movies have always been self-referential but this one seems to be looking all the way up its own asshole. There are nods to its predecessor, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, with some lines pulled directly from the previous script, as well as nods to other properties.
Reboot seems to be a commentary, although a tongue-in-cheek one, about Hollywood’s propensity for rebooting the same old stories. It’s a message that is particularly timely in this era of Hollywood film-making, sandwiched between the release of Disney’s live-action Aladdin, The Lion King, and the news of both Mulan and Little Mermaid projects. There is of course, also the meta element that this is essentially a reboot of Strike’s Back itself.
In true Kevin Smith fashion, the picture is absolutely chock-full of cameos. In the trailer we see appearances from Justin Long, Craig Robinson, Jason Lee, Fred Armisen, Melissa Benoist, Val Kilmer, Matt Damon, Chris Hemsworth, Redman and Method Man, Jason Biggs, James Van Der Beek, and Tommy Chong, to name (more than) a few. Perhaps the biggest surprise, however, is the return of Ben Affleck to the universe after he and Smith’s well-known but mysterious falling out.
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot will hit theaters for a limited run in October. You can get tickets here.