Having seemingly opted out of the studio system, Kevin Smith is enjoying the freedom that comes with doing it on your own. His latest move is to split upcoming hockey flick Hit Somebody into a two-part film, a decision no studio would surely ever have backed!
Having previously stated the film will be his last before retirement, Smith told a Red State audience in Montreal that Hit Somebody was too big a story to tell in just one movie.
The comedy-drama tells the story of Buddy, a sports-mad dreamer obsessed with scoring a goal in the NHL. The first film will cover his childhood and the road that eventually leads him to the NHL, whilst the second will continue the story once he’s made it.
Buddy will be played by Red State ’s Nicholas Braun, whilst Colin Hanks, Melissa Leo and John Goodman have all been rumoured to be joining the cast.
Essentially, what we’re looking at here is a four-hour epic about the NHL, a proposal that even the most sympathetic studio might struggle to swallow. However, since Smith is operating out there on his own, he can pretty much release this one however he pleases!
Whether it translates to UK audiences, however, remains to be seen. As intrigued as we are, NHL is always going to be a hard sell this side of the pond…