Last year on April Fools’ Day, director Kevin Smith had some news.
He told fans that his movie “Dogma” would be getting remastered and re-released for its 25th anniversary.
They looked at the April 1 date and knew better.
Because the Smith-faithful knew that the movie was unavailable to stream and had long been out of print on DVD.
So the tease of a 2024 remaster and re-release was just that — a tease.
“Just a joke, sadly,” Smith confirmed to NJ Advance Media at the time.
The Highlands-bred filmmaker, who wrote and directed the 1999 movie, did not own the rights to the film.
He had tried three times over the years to buy the rights to “Dogma” from disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein — first offering $250,000, then $500,000, then $1 million — but they refused.
“My movie about angels is owned by the devil himself,” Smith said at the 2022 premiere of "Clerks III“ in Red Bank.
But exactly one year later, on April Fools’ 2025, the New Jersey director had some “Dogma” news.
And this time, it was no joke.
Director Kevin Smith at SModcastle Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands, where he will host a screening of "Dogma" as part of a tour of the U.S. and Canada.Jim Lowney | For NJ Advance Media
“Dogma” will be back in theaters this summer.
But first, starting this month, Smith is touring with the film.
Dogma: The Resurrection Tour will have its grand finale in New Jersey at SModcastle Cinemas, the movie theater Smith co-owns in Atlantic Highlands.
So yes, Kevin Smith is finally bringing “Dogma” home.
“Bless me, Father - for I have cinema!” Smith said in an Instagram post Tuesday. “I’m ecclesiastically ecstatic to announce that DOGMA is getting a religious re-release on JUNE 5th in theaters all across the U.S. and Canada!”
Word arrived late last year that another company had bought the rights to “Dogma.”
Smith said the film’s 4K remastering and re-release, in partnership with Iconic Events, would indeed celebrate the 25th anniversary of the movie — “my fourth (and perhaps best) film,” he said.
“Dogma” got a new poster and trailer (see below) for the occasion.
Alan Rickman as the angel Metatron in "Dogma." Lionsgate
The “Dogma” tour of screenings with Q&As at 20 AMC theaters starts on Easter (April 20) in Los Angeles.
Smith and the movie will be in cities including San Diego, Phoenix, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Boston, New York (AMC Lincoln Square 13 on May 4), Philadelphia (AMC Neshaminy 24, May 5), Atlanta, Tampa and Orlando, capped by Atlantic Highlands for the SModcastle Cinemas screenings May 14 and 15.
“Thank you to everyone who kept the faith all these years; you’ve sustained me during the long crusade to resurrect my movie!” said Smith, 54. “Praise the Lord and pass the popcorn for the second coming of Dogma!”
READ MORE: Kevin Smith on ‘The 4:30 Movie,’ his N.J. theater and his childhood worshipping the screen
Smith stars in the New Jersey-set movie as Silent Bob with his longtime friend Jason Mewes as Jay.
In writing the R-rated comedy, the director drew upon his Catholic school education, which made the satire a bit controversial upon its release. The film became the subject of protests and denunciation by the Catholic League.
But “Dogma” otherwise got a warm reception and performed well at the box office, bringing in $30 million.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck lead the film as fallen angels Loki and Bartleby.
Damon’s former angel of death and his friend seek to take advantage of a loophole to get back into heaven by way of a Red Bank church.
Starring alongside Damon and Affleck are Linda Fiorentino (Bethany), Alan Rickman (Metatron), Salma Hayek (Serendipity), Chris Rock (Rufus), George Carlin (Cardinal Glick), Jason Lee (Azrael), Janeane Garofalo (Liz), Brian O’Halloran (reporter) and Alanis Morissette (God).
While the Weinstein debacle prevented Smith from writing a “Dogma” sequel, he did revisit Damon’s character, Loki, in his 2019 film “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.”
Loki says in the film that he was banished to Earth to live as Damon’s other character, Jason Bourne.
“I guess you could say I was born again,” he says in the film. “And what you’re looking at now is my re-Bourne identity.”
READ MORE: Fallen angels unite: Kevin Smith is working on ‘Dogma 2’
In November, given the news that “Dogma” was no longer in Weinstein’s possession, Smith said he had started thinking about an actual “Dogma 2.”
“A Dogma sequel script is eventually happening… but that doesn’t mean a movie is getting made necessarily,“ he said at the time. ”And while I plan to include Bartleby and Loki, I’ve not spoken to Ben or Matt about it yet.”
Cosplay at the “Dogma” tour is “encouraged.” The event’s website says if fans dress as a character from the movie, Smith will take a selfie with them after the Q&A.
“Dogma” will be at SModcastle Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands May 14 and 15. A Q&A session with Kevin Smith will follow each screening. For tickets visit smodcastlecinemas.com. For more information on the “Dogma” re-release and tour, visit dogmamovie.com.
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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter/X, @amykup.bsky.social on Bluesky and @kupamy on Instagram and Threads.