Kevin Smith is dialing up the heavens for a sequel nobody saw coming. During a Sunday panel at Vulture Festival celebrating the 25th anniversary of Dogma, Smith dropped the bombshell that he’s working on Dogma 2, and he’s got old friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon pegged for at least cameo appearances—if not more.
In classic Kevin Smith style, the filmmaker acknowledged the inevitable backlash. “Some people will be like, ‘Don’t f—ing touch it. You’ll ruin it,'” he admitted. “And I’m here to tell you: I will. I’m f—ing tickled. I found a way in.” Confident and irreverent as ever, Smith made it clear he’s ready to mess with the sacred text of Dogma, and he doesn’t care who knows it.
Smith sounded optimistic about Affleck and Damon coming back as the fallen angels Bartleby and Loki. After all, he has a unique card to play. “I have been able to hold that over both their heads for 25 f—ing years, which is why they keep showing up in all the movies,” Smith quipped, referencing how he helped save Good Will Hunting back in 1997. He added, “Expect a cameo from them—more than a f—ing cameo. The only way we get a Dogma sequel made is if they’re there. So count on those guys being there.”
Smith’s panel coincided with Dogma‘s 25th anniversary. The original 1999 film featured Affleck and Damon as buddy angels, Bartleby and Loki, determined to find a loophole that would get them back into heaven. It also boasted an impressive cast, including Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, and Alanis Morissette—as well as Smith himself, along with partner-in-crime Jason Mewes, in their iconic roles as Jay and Silent Bob.
Dogma was the fourth installment in Smith’s beloved View Askewniverse, which includes classics like Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy, among others. The last we saw of Smith in his Askewniverse was Clerks III, released in 2022, proving his universe never really stops expanding—it just takes unexpected turns.
And there’s more good news for fans: Dogma is about to become much more accessible. Last month, Smith announced that the religious satire is heading back to theaters, with a new home release on the horizon after a deal was struck to purchase distribution rights from Miramax. This means that Dogma might soon be available for streaming for the very first time.
Smith hinted that the new deal could open up doors to sequels, spin-offs, or even a TV adaptation—something that just wasn’t possible before. “Exciting, man. And all those people who worked in it are still viable,” Smith noted, pointing to the potential of rekindling the Dogma magic.
It’s worth mentioning that, back in 2017, Smith publicly distanced himself from Harvey Weinstein after multiple allegations of sexual assault against the producer surfaced. Smith expressed regret over having worked with Weinstein and pledged to donate all future residuals from his Miramax and Weinstein Co. projects to Women in Film. Ironically, Weinstein himself had tried to lure Smith into making Dogma 2 shortly before the scandal broke—an offer Smith said he declined.
For now, it looks like Kevin Smith is finally ready to revisit the heavens and hells of Dogma on his own terms, with some old friends in tow. And whether you love or fear the idea of a sequel, one thing’s for sure: Smith will have fun making it—and maybe that’s reason enough to tune in.
Source: Deadline
