Kevin Smith Revives ‘Dogma‘ for Sequel, Pursues Fiorentino Return After Two-Decade absence
LOS ANGELES – Filmmaker Kevin Smith is moving forward with a sequel to his controversial 1999 film Dogma, aiming to reunite original cast members Ben affleck and Matt Damon, and bring back Jay and Silent Bob for another installment. The project comes as dogma receives a re-release in cinemas on november 7th.
The planned sequel hinges, in part, on securing the participation of Linda Fiorentino, who hasn’t appeared in a film since 2002 and has largely remained out of the public eye. Smith acknowledges the initial friction during the making of the first Dogma, admitting he once considered recasting her role, but now deeply appreciates her performance. “I appreciate her performance now so much more than I did,” Smith stated.”I remember, when we were making the movie, worrying that she was underplaying it… But now I see what she was doing, her subtlety, and how importantly she grounds the movie. I love her in it.”
Smith intends the sequel to explore themes of faith from a contrasting outlook. “This one is written by somebody who really doesn’t have that same faith structure – but that’s good for the plot, to be honest with you,” he explained. He has reportedly been in contact with Fiorentino via Facebook, learning she stepped away from acting to focus on “real world stuff.” A notable role for her character is already written into the third act of the script.
Rumors of on-set tension between Fiorentino and Smith during the original Dogma production circulated for years, which Smith has since downplayed, offering an apology for past comments about her performance. The potential return of Fiorentino would mark her first public appearance in nearly two decades, a prospect Smith describes as “talk about a miracle.”
