Kevin Smith’s announcement that he is investing in the Atlantic Moviehouse in New Jersey has apparently not gone over well with some individuals, with the Clerks star having reportedly received “bomb” threats warning him off completing the deal. After receiving a text advising him of the threatening call that had been received at the theater, Smith took to his Instagram account to gauge public opinion as to whether the threat was serious or, as he believed, a slightly dubious joke about his “bomb” movies.
In the message shared by Smith from Ernie O’Donnell, who appeared in Clerks and is currently acting as a caretaker for the theater, Smith was told:
"I don't want to alarm you but, we just got a call at the theatre. The person asked my manager if Kevin Smith was buying the theater. They said that we shouldn't do that and that if we did, there would be bomb threats. I have informed Fred Rast who instructed us to inform the police. My manager has called the police to report it. The number is a California number. I'm sure it was some a-hole kids. But I thought you should know. I'll keep you updated."
It was revealed on Friday that Smith was set to invest in the theater with his wife and other investors. The theater itself is in Smith’s hometown and has been around for almost 100 years. Smith’s takeover of the establishment will see it being rebranded as Smodcastle Cinemas, and as well as regular movie screenings, Smith will open the venue up to live shows, film festivals and several View Askew-related events.
Kevin Smith Wants to See the Funny Side of The Call
While the caller’s comment that “there would be bomb threats” seems on the surface to be an out-and-out promise, Smith wants to believe that is just someone’s idea of a joke in relation to his own movies. When sharing the details on his Instagram account, Smith commented:
“I think it’s a joke about how my movies have “bombed” in theaters. So… Should I be giggling at the shade or worried about the warning?”
Although Smith’s followers were pleased he was seeing the funny side of this, many advised him to take it as a threat now and laugh about it later if it did turn out to be someone’s idea of a joke. Others also warned the writer-director against making the threat public, as it could inspire others to follow suit and potentially see many similar calls being made to the theater in the near future.
Whatever the truth behind the call, it doesn’t seem that Smith has been deterred in any way from continuing on with the venture, as the star’s next post included several marquee designs that he is planning on using outside the newly branded cinemas in the future. There is no doubt that as a regular social media poster, Smith will be keeping everyone informed of any further updates on the matter.
In the meantime, Smith's fans are awaiting the release of his third Clerks movie as well as the new season of his Masters of the Universe revival on Netflix.