Kevin Smith Needs Redbox To Replace 'Clerks' Locale RST Video In 'Jay And Silent Bob Reboot'

Kevin Smith's breakthrough indie comedy Clerks takes place entirely at two locations. One is the Quick Stop Groceries, where Dante (Brian O'Halloran) works, even when he isn't supposed to be there that day. The other is RST Video, the video rental store where Randall (Jeff Anderson) wastes his day away. But it sounds like one of those locations is getting replaced in Kevin Smith's forthcoming comedy sequel, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.

Yesterday afternoon, Kevin Smith revealed why Jay and Silent Bob Reboot needs Redbox:

Dear @redbox: I'm making a movie called #JayAndSilentBobReboot and we've been trying to get in touch with you so we can feature a Red Box in the flick as the replacement for RST Video. Any interest? We can make a fake version but I figured you folks might enjoy the exposure.

— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 13, 2019

Redbox responded, albeit with some hesitation:

We're not sure if this is a good idea or not but we're into it! Send us a DM so we can chat.

— Redbox (@redbox) February 13, 2019

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was released nearly 18 years ago. A newborn child has become an adult since that movie was released! And since then, the number of video rental shops have taken a plunge as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, and yes, Redbox, now dominate as our entertainment providers. So it should come as no surprise that a Redbox would be situated outside Quick Stop Groceries instead of having RST Video next door. But it does raise at least one question.

If RST Video is closed now, where is Randall working? Does he have a job at the Quick Stop now? It would make sense since Randall and Dante bought it at the end of Clerks II. Or has something else moved into that spot? Could we see Randall working in fast food again like when he and Dante had to work at Mooby's in Clerks II? Could we get another Kevin Smith-created establishment in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot? Maybe the Redbox installation will have just been introduced in the movie and we'll get to see the fallout.

From this detail alone, it sounds like Jay and Silent Bob will really be dealing with how much has changed since Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Hell, even Clerks II was 13 years ago, and plenty has changed since then too. One might think that Jay and Silent Bob would be aware of this since the world has been changing around them this whole time. But we're talking about a duo who had no idea what the internet was in 2001, so it wouldn't be surprising if they're still behind the times.

As someone who loved every film in the View Askewniverse, I'm personally excited to return to Kevin Smith's comedic world. Jay and Silent Bob might be old schtick by now, but Smith has always been clever with his meta approach to these characters, and I'm certainly interested in seeing if he still has the magic touch with his own creations.