Jay And Silent Bob Reboot Casts Joe Manganiello And More

Kevin Smith's herbal hero may be quiet, but he's making plenty of noise — and big moves — behind the scenes of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. 

The latest news coming out of the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, the follow-up to the 2001 comedy hit Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, is that Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike), Craig Robinson (The Office), Frankie Shaw (SMILF), Justin Long (F Is for Family), and Jordan Monsanto (Yoga Hosers, Spoilers with Kevin Smith) have joined the cast.

Smith made the announcement on his Instagram page, sharing a snap of himself and co-star Jason Mewes (the Jay half of the Jay and Silent Bob duo) alongside the reboot roster additions. 

In the caption of the photo, Smith, who writes and directs Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, detailed that the new crew comes together for a courtroom scene that presumably takes place as Jay and Silent Bob attempt to sue a Hollywood film company for making a reboot of the movie made about them all those years ago. (For those unfamiliar, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back followed the titular pair as they trekked to Hollywood to stop the production of a film about them; Jay and Silent Bob Reboot follows that same story, just many years later and with the film in question being a reboot of the original.)

In the sequel-slash-reboot, Manganiello plays a bailiff, Monsanto plays his twin, Robinson portrays a judge, Shaw plays a prosecutor, and Long portrays a lawyer. Each of the five new cast members have an important connection to Smith and Mewes: Manganiello is a massive Dungeons and Dragons fan (he runs a D&D streetwear brand called Death Saves) just like Smith, with whom he guest-starred on The Big Bang Theory for a D&D-themed episode; Monsanto is Mewes' wife and the producer of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot; Robinson and Long worked with Smith on Zack and Miri Make a Porno; and Shaw starred alongside Smith on Hollyweed, and happens to be the creator, director, and star of Smith's favorite series, SMILF. Smith talked about it all in the lengthy caption of the cast photo, taken on the film's set in New Orleans. 

"Here come da' Judge! @jayandsilentbob had to go to court yesterday with a comedic legal dream team that included a pair of #zackandmirimakeaporno veterans! On the bench was the honorable @mrcraigrobinson, who fought frigid Pittsburgh winter weather with me a decade ago to make a Porno. Speaking of Penguins country, Pittsburgh's own @deathsaves Dungeon master Mister @joemanganiello was our Bailiff (with producer @jordanmonsanto playing his twin). The creator, star and director of my favorite show, @sho_smilf (as well as my costar in the #hollyweed pilot) @frankieshawisag joined us as the Prosecutor! And for the Defense – my @tuskthemovie brother-in-sewn-up-arms, the genius @therealstephenblatt as the Lawyer (who sounds an awful lot like a Bobby Long-less Brandon St. Randy)!" wrote Smith. 

He added that Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is starting to look like his "extended family scrap book," as it includes cameo appearances from people he worked with "for years" plus "a few famous folks [he's] never met before but [is] looking forward to making pretend beside." 

Smith wrapped up the caption with a statement of love and gratitude: "There's a lot of love in this photo (which more resembles the key art for a 'Night Court' reboot than the actual scene we shot yesterday). I appreciate that love and send it right back to my fellow thespians for making the cross-country Reboot-y Call!"

As always, it's great to hear that things are shaping up well for the latest installment in Smith's View Askewniverse movie world, and it truly warms the soul to see that Smith and Mewes are getting together with old friends for Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. However — and this is a very slight counterpoint — one would hope that the forthcoming film brings something special to the plate in addition to having so many bright and shiny cameos. Still, knowing what Smith and Mewes can do when they partner up, we're certain that Jay and Silent Bob Reboot will be more than just the"same f***ing movie" as its predecessor. 

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is currently without a release date. 

Kevin Smith/Instagram