Clerks 3 production underway next month

Kevin Smith is starting production on 'Clerks III' this summer.

The 50-year-old filmmaker is pushing on with the long awaited sequel to 2006's 'Clerks II' and he's confirmed "almost the whole cast" will be back to reprise their roles when work starts in August.

Jay Mewes and Smith himself will return as Jay and Silent Bob, while Brian O'Halloran (Dante), Jeff Anderson (Randal) and Rosario Dawson (Becky) are all taking part.

In the upcoming movie, Randal - who has suffered a massive heart attack - gets his fellow clerks to work on a film immortalising his life at the convenience store.

In a statement, Smith said: "There’s a saying from the Tao that goes something like ‘To be great is to go on. To go on is to go far. To go far is to return.’

"Thanks to Lionsgate, we get to return to where it all started with almost the whole cast that started it all!

"And for the first time since the first time we ever made a movie in 1993, we’re shooting the entire flick on location in New Jersey, as an ode to both the enduring allure of cinema and the resourcefulness and lunacy of its storytellers.

"Years ago, Dante and Randal made me a filmmaker – so now it’s time I return the favour."

Meanwhile, Lionsgate is "thrilled" to be working on the "next chapter" of the film series.

Eda Kowan, who is overseeing the project for the studio, added: "The 'Clerks' movies are audience favourites and many of Kevin’s films, like 'Dogma', 'Red State', and the 'Jay and Silent Bob Reboot' are a beloved part of our library that continues to delight Kevin’s devoted fans.

"We’re thrilled to be presenting the next chapter in the 'Clerks' saga to moviegoers worldwide."