Kevin Smith to shoot ‘Clerks III’ in Philly

This week, filmmaker Kevin Smith posted to Facebook that “Clerks III” – a sequel to his hit 1994 indie film – will be shot in Philadelphia.

“Expect Philly to run out of Cheez Whiz,” thumbed the Comic Con icon.

Filming should begin in May, but it’s not just about the Cheez Whiz.

“There’s no doubt that they would not be shooting the film in Philadelphia if they couldn’t access the film tax credit,” said Sharon Pinkenson, director of the Philadelphia Film Office, which helped Smith apply for the credits. “The world has changed our business completely, and nobody shoots anything significant without chasing tax credits.”

Pinkenson, who has a copy of the script, said she has not read it yet. A portion of the film will be likely be shot at Philadelphia Soundstages in Olde Kensington, she said. Location shooting has not yet been determined.

Kevin Smith shot “Jersey Girl” in Philadelphia, a film with Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler, that was considered a flop. That was in 2002, before Pennsylvania had established a film tax credit initiative.

The state of Pennsylvania caps access to the credits, which can save filmmakers up to 30 percent. Pinkenson said Smith’s film will be the last to take advantage of them for the rest of the budget year.