Summary

  • Kevin Smith's new movie, The 4:30 Movie, is a coming-of-age comedy set in 1986 with a young cast.
  • The film was shot at Smod Cinemas, features a slice-of-life narrative, and includes some well-known actors.
  • The 4:30 Movie marks Smith's return to his stylistic comfort zone with a wholly original story.

Kevin Smith’s new movie, The 4:30 Movie, releases its first photos and plot details. A notable indie director since his 1994 feature debut Clerks, Smith has been in the industry for three decades now. Over that time, he has created a number of notable films, including Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Now, he is in production on a comedy called The 4:30 Movie.

As per Deadline and Smith himself on Twitter, new information has been released about The 4:30 Movie. This information includes a description of the project, which reads the following:

Set in the summer of 1986, the coming-of-age comedy follows three sixteen-year-old friends (played by Austin Zajur, Nicholas Cirillo and Reed Northrup) who spend their Saturdays sneaking into movies at the local multiplex. But when one of the guys also invites the girl of his dreams (Siena Agudong) to see the latest comedy, each of the teens will learn something serious about life and love before the credits roll.

Smith also posted about the project, with an additional photo of the main cast included. The image is from Smod Cinemas, where the feature was shot. Smith encouraged audiences to come “see this sweet period piece at the same theater where [they] made it (or at a theater near you)!” In addition to Smith’s post, Deadline released another photo from the film, which can be found below:

The 4:30 movie Kevin Smith cast Reed Northrup, Nicholas Cirillo and Austin Zajur

Why The 4:30 Movie Is A Great Next Film For Kevin Smith

Caitlyn and Randall standing at the counter in Clerks

While the images do not reveal much of what is to come for The 4:30 Movie, they do fit the plot’s description of being a “coming-of-age comedy.” All four of the main actors are young and relative newcomers to Hollywood. Not all are new to Smith projects, however, as Zajur previously played a character named Blockchain Coltrane in the Clerks sequel Clerks III. In the images, the quartet seems to fit naturally into the slice-of-life, Smith-style narrative. The 4:30 Movie cast also includes Justin Long, Jason Lee, Ken Jeong, Sam Richardson, Harley Quinn Smith, Kate Micucci, and Adam Pally.

From the plot description, it seems like The 4:30 Movie will be a good return to the roots of Smith's filmography. As in the case of the Clerks franchise, the director does well on films that are mainly confined to one location with naturalistic dialogue. From Smith’s post and the description of the film, The 4:30 Movie will seemingly follow a similar pattern, as the piece was shot mostly at Smod Cinemas.

Split image of Dante in Clerks, Bartleby in Dogma and Bob in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
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This return to his roots could be a positive step for Smith in the next phase of his career. In the last five years, Smith has devoted his directorial career towards remaking his own classics, including Jay and Silent Bob Reboot in 2019 and Clerks III in 2022. The 4:30 Movie will give the director the enticing opportunity to work within his stylistic comfort zone while still working with an original story.

The 4:30 Movie does not yet have an official release date, but Smith will go on a multi-city tour with the movie before it rolls out in theaters nationwide.

Source: Deadline and Kevin Smith/Twitter/X