Kevin Smith will be back in movie theaters, literally.
The indie writer/director has announced the existence of his latest film, The 4:30 Movie, and that it will be distributed later this year by Saban Films, the same distributor who handled Smith’s Jay And Silent Bob Reboot.
In a post on Facebook, Smith included the press release announcing the project and deal which included the following plot description –
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 shot the film in his Smodcastle Cinemas, the Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey multiplex that Smith and his friends spent their teen years at and which Smith purchased in 2022. The theater programs a mix of Hollywood fare, indie films and older, classic films in addition to hosting events centered on Smith’s own films like this coming August’s 24-hour Vulgarthon.
The 4:30 Movie isn’t the first time that Smith has mined the movies of the 1980s for his own work. The director has often stated that his sophomore effort, Mallrats, was inspired by that decade’s teen sex comedies while his recurring stoner Jay and Silent Bob are seen in 1999’s Dogma wanting to travel to the fictional Shermer, Illinois, the fictional setting of many of director John Hughes’ 1980s teen comedies.
This is the second collaboration between Smith’s View Askew Productions and Saban, who previously distributed Jay And Silent Bob Reboot. That film was initially released in theaters nationally with two Fathom Events screenings before Smith embarked on a roadshow tour, hosting screenings in various cities around the country through late February 2020.
According to the press release – “Smith will embark on a multi-city national tour this summer with The 4:30 Movie, followed by a nationwide theatrical rollout.”
Here is the fill text of Smith’s announcement –
