Kevin Smith will celebrate his 51st birthday by going on set to begin shooting the long awaited third installment of cult comedy Clerks. The film-maker announced on Twitter that Lionsgate has stepped in to acquire the rights to the film, which is currently in pre-production, and filming begins on 2 August.

“On August 2, for my 51st birthday, I return to Quick Stop – the little store that started it all – with my friends Dante, Randal, Jay, Silent Bob, Becky, & Elias! Thank you @Lionsgate for making CLERKS III!” said Smith on Twitter.

15 years after Clerks II, Smith will be stepping behind the camera once again to direct his own screenplay, with all major cast members from the View Askewniverse (Smith was doing this long before the MCU) coming together to reprise their roles. Jeff Anderson and Brian O’Halloran will return as the convenience store workers Randal Graves and Dante Hicks. Meanwhile, Rosario Dawson will be back as Becky, Jay Mewes as Jay and Smith will play Silent Bob.

“In the story this time, I give Randal the heart attack that almost killed me. But rather than succumb to the reality of middle age, Randal rages against the dying light by telling the story of his life in an indie film he shoots with his fellow clerks at Quick Stop!” Smith said in an Instagram post, referring to the heart attack he suffered in 2018.

The entire film will be shot on location in New Jersey—where Smith grew up—”as an ode to both the enduring allure of cinema and the resourcefulness and lunacy of its storytellers.”

No release date for the film has yet been set, but Smith has said he wants to “spend some of 2021 in New Jersey where it all began”. In the meantime, Smith’s animated fantasy series Masters of the Universe: Revelation hits Netflix on Friday.