‘Found' Star Shanola Hampton Unpacks Season 2 Finale Rollercoaster That Leaves Gabi & Sir In Jeopardy
Found.
Audiences are sure to be on the edge of their seats after the Season 2 finale of NBC's Found, which very well could be the series finale, since the network cancelled it last week.
More from Deadline
Broadcast Schedule's New Paradigm: How 8 PM Became "The Best Time Period On TV For Live Viewing" As 10 PM Hangs In (For Now)
2025 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
Kelly Clarkson Set To Interview Gloria Estefan, Jonas Brothers, Lizzo & Teddy Swims In NBC's New 'Songs & Stories' Four-Episode Specials
Lead studio Warner Bros. Television is shopping the series around to other networks and streamers. Fans have also been making some noise on social media, hoping that it'll continue elsewhere. For now, though, viewers are left in limbo about both Sir and Gabi's fates after the end of Thursday night's episode.
The episode picks up immediately where the last one left off, after Jamie (Parker Queenan) goes missing, and they manage to deduce that he's been kidnapped by Lena (Danielle Savre). Lena also tries to blackmail Gabi (Shanola Hampton) into recanting her statement about Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) kidnapping Lacey (Gabrielle Walsh), offering Jamie in return. Gabi decides to give everyone at M&A a vote on whether she should sign the affidavit, and everyone except Margaret votes in favor.
Gabi pays Sir a visit after Dhan tells her about a conversation they'd had, which tips her off to the fact that Sir is actually masterminding this plan that Lena is enacting. After this showdown with Sir, Gabi finally lures Lena and Jamie to the high school. But, once she gains the upper hand, Gabi gives Lena the opportunity to break the cycle of abuse and escape out the back door. As Gabi steps outside, Lena comes running out behind her with a gun to her head — only to be met by police surrounding the building.
The next morning, Gabi holds a press conference where she stuns the world by revealing that she held Sir captive in her basement for nine months. Simultaneously, it's revealed that Sir may not even be alive anymore, after he's found lying in a pool of blood in his cell.
Is Sir alive? Is Gabi going to prison? How will M&A fare without her? There are a ton of questions to be answered after that finale. Shanola Hampton spoke with Deadline in the interview below to unpack a few of them. Note: This interview was done prior to the show's cancellation.SHANOLA HAMPTON: It was a combination of things. I think…it's all come to a head, right? We've gradually been building for this, even though I didn't see this particular thing coming so publicly. But penance has been Gabi's theme. She's been trying to gain control of her life, and every time she feels like, 'Okay, now I can pay,' Sir takes it from her. She thought she was going to go to jail. Sir took that from her. So by the end of it, when she has that head-to-head, and she looks into Lena's eyes, and she sees herself, then finally, she's like 'It has to be big enough for it for him not to be able to strip it away.' It has to be big enough that he can't do any other game with her. That's what takes her to that point.HAMPTON: Well, her telling the world about it was taking the power from Sir, but also because she really wants to pay for what she's done. So it's less about, 'Oh gosh, I didn't have to say it, because now he's dead.' That wouldn't be a response, because she really does want penance, and Sir has prevented that. It's not trying to prove a point to him. I do think that it will be an interesting emotional journey for her if Sir is truly dead, because one would think that, oh, she'll be so happy she's rid of this evil in her life. But as you know, humans are so complicated, and relationships, even when they're toxic, are so complicated. So for her to not have that cat and mouse, something that she's been addicted to for a long time, I don't know how she would respond.HAMPTON: It is hard. I mean, I think that every human being has this line, and it's different for everyone, that if someone does a certain thing and crosses that one line, it triggers a mental reaction that may not be sane. We all sort of consciously make the choice to do the right thing and to not commit these crazy evil crimes, or to let the triggers trigger that. I can understand that emotional vulnerability of Gabi after losing her father and after losing a year of her life, after being so really mentally abused, because she was groomed to go and trust someone…I always try to sympathize or empathize with my characters anyway, because the only way to play it is to understand where they're coming from. That doesn't mean that you have to justify your behavior, but I can see how you could go there. If somebody messed with my kids, it would take me a real, real, real, real, real conscious effort to not commit a crime.HAMPTON: They are back to really working together again in a way that they trust each other. We picked up the story with them kind of in the place that they are getting back to now, which is refreshing. I think, in a romantic sense, as much as there may be this connection, it's very difficult for Gabi to want to bring someone like Trent and Trent's personality and his good into all of her crazy. We rarely get to see characters just work on themselves without being in a relationship, and we oftentimes just drag people into our stuff. I think Gabi is consciously trying to make sure that she heals before bringing anyone else in. But it's nice to see that. They were at odds big time, and Trent was really brutal to her and not forgiving for a long time. So I think that will always be in the back of her head too. As much as they're working together, she won't forget how he treated her, even though she felt like she deserved it. But then you have someone like Dhan who's like, 'You did this horrible thing, but I still love you.' I know with a woman like Gabi, who's been through so many of these male figures…to have someone just embrace all of her is so rare. So that will be in the back of her mind as well.HAMPTON: The consistency of the protection, I think, is always nice for Gabi. She so fiercely is like, 'I got it. I can do it myself.' So for her, I think that, in a way, she wanted Lena to be good for him and to be that person, even though her spidey senses were way up and she was really trying to not let ego be a part of that, because Trent deserves to be with the best, coolest woman ever. You know what I mean?HAMPTON: It's like, you don't know what you do until you're in it…So for him to have had such a close relationship, to give his heart, in many ways, to another woman that he hasn't done in a really, really long time, and to have her be Lena, I think, is eye opening for him, and probably in ways, has helped bridge the gap with him and Gabi. Because his judgmental self, right, is a little like, 'Oh, wow, my pain is not even nearly what you did. That hurt, and I feel like I can do some awful things — maybe not lock a man in basement, but…' so I think that is a sort of bridge [for] that relationship, as well.HAMPTON: When I look at it as an actor, and the fact that we started the pilot on this wall, and we have now moved over to this wall, and that wall has filled up so much that we're going to have to now move over to this wall — it means something. We're telling the stories of so many different communities, and it makes me excited when I look at the pictures. We play this game on set where people have to try to remember the case.HAMPTON: There were a couple this season. Dealing with the autism case was really timely and intentional, and it meant a lot. I loved the case we did last week with Down Syndrome, and the actors were so incredible. I think we said some key things that the masses need to hear about not doubting or putting limitations on anyone. It was such a an experience on and off screen. I've worked with Lily before. I did a pilot with her called Dangerous Moms, and she was incredible. She was so incredible in this, and Matthew [too]. I really, really loved when we did — because we have never done that many characters in one episode — where we found all the missing children and reunited them with the families, but it was like 10. That was an insane episode, so I really enjoyed that as well.HAMPTON: I'm excited that we get to go into other characters. So I'm excited that we get to see about Dhan, that's our next backstory. Karan is not only an amazing actor, but Dhan is my favorite character. I love Dhan. I love his ride or die. I love his intensity, yet he's so soft and gooey. In the end, I want to know, how did he and Ethan come to be? Because it's the odd couple really, right? But there's this relationship that we all are rooting for. I just want to know everything. For Gabi, I just want her to be on her healing journey. If Sir is alive, what the heck are they going to do with their cat and mouse game? I want to know that answer too. I want to solve more great cases. I want to get to Zeke. I want it to be a season where we get to Dhan, and we get to Zeke, and we get some of those questions answered.
Best of Deadline
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds
'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Everything We Know About Ari Aster's 'Eddington' So Far
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
23 minutes ago
- Fox News
Ex-Biden adviser calls Jean-Pierre ‘kinda dumb,' deletes tweet, says she's not a ‘genius-level Black woman'
As criticism mounts from within Biden's world against former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and her new book, one ex-aide lambasted the now-Independent ombudswoman as "kinda dumb" — a tweet he deleted but later stood by. Timothy Wu, now a Columbia Law professor, was former President Joe Biden's "architect" of antitrust policy whose faculty bio claims he also coined the progressive term "net neutrality" in 2002. In a now-deleted tweet, Wu wrote: "from a [White House] staff perspective, the real problem with Karine Jean-Pierre was that she was kinda dumb." "[She had n]o interest in understanding harder topics. Just gave random incoherent answers on policy," Wu added in the trashed tweet. The X account "I work with my word" replied to the original tweet, calling it "pretty racist," and the tweet was later deleted, but the reply remained. Below the reply, Wu added a new line of commentary, saying the Biden White House was "full of genius-level Black women. [Jean-Pierre] was not one of them." In response to another X user asking Wu whether Trump White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt understands executive policy, the professor said a good ombudsperson will "meet with policy staff and try and understand what the administration is doing and why." Fox News Digital reached out to Wu via his Columbia faculty office, where he has taught since 2006. The former Biden adviser was also a Democratic primary candidate for New York's lieutenant governorship in 2014, and also worked in the Obama administration and at the Federal Trade Commission. Jean-Pierre announced Wednesday that she left the Democratic Party and has become an Independent while revealing her upcoming book: "Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines." She was mocked and criticized by several people in Biden's orbit besides Wu, including one who said, "I wouldn't ignore what Karine has to say, but it's not an account in which much weight will be invested — just like her briefings." "At noon on that day [that Biden left office], I became a private citizen who, like all Americans and many of our allies around the world, had to contend with what was to come next for our country. I determined that the danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes. We need to be willing to exercise the ability to think creatively and plan strategically," Jean-Pierre said of her new Independent streak.
CNN
26 minutes ago
- CNN
Live updates: Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial, Cassie Ventura's friend Bryana Bongolan to testify
Update: Date: Title: Court is back from lunch Content: Judge Arun Subramanian is on the bench. The jury is entering now. Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey said they intend to call Enrique Santos to the stand before Jane. Update: Date: Title: Judge warns Combs could be excluded from courtroom for repeatedly nodding at jury during Bongolan's testimony Content: Judge Arun Subramanian warned the defense that Sean 'Diddy' Combs could be excluded from the courtroom if he continues to attempt to interact with the jury. The judge said he saw Combs on two different occasions during Bryana Bongolan's testimony, looking at the jury and 'nodding vigorously.' Combs was previously seen nodding during the testimony of George Kaplan, his former assistant. Subramanian said he already warned the defense that Combs can't be making any facial expressions or attempts to have any interaction with or influence the jury. 'I could not have been any clearer in terms of what I said,' the judge said. 'Well, there was a line of questioning when your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury,' Subramanian said. During a sidebar, the judge said he saw Combs doing it a second time. 'I looked and I saw your client looking at the jury and nodding vigorously.' 'It is absolutely unacceptable,' Subramanian said. He asked defense attorney Marc Agnifilo, 'Is it going to happen again?' Agnifilo assured him it wouldn't. 'It cannot happen again,' the judge said. And if it does, Subramanian said he'll let the government make an application to give the jury an instruction on the issue and will consider more severe measures, such as excluding Combs from the courtroom. Update: Date: Title: This is what it takes to prove racketeering conspiracy Content: Prosecutors have charged Sean 'Diddy' Combs with racketeering conspiracy and are currently laying out their case on how the music mogul's conduct meets the criteria for the charge. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the racketeering charge as well as sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to life in prison. What is racketeering? Racketeering is 'not a specific crime — it's a way of thinking about and prosecuting a variety of crimes,' attorney G. Robert Blakey told CNN. Racketeering means engaging in an illegal scheme. It's used in the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, to describe 35 offenses, including kidnapping, murder, bribery, arson and extortion. Prosecutors must prove a pattern involving at least two instances of racketeering activity to convict someone under the law. RICO criteria: According to the US Justice Department, to convict someone of racketeering, prosecutors must prove five different criteria: The minimum sentence for racketeering varies by jurisdiction and severity of the crime. Convicted racketeers can also face fines. Prosecutors in Combs' case are using witness testimony, like from Cassie Ventura, Bryana Bongolan and 'Mia,' to prove RICO charges against him. Legal analysts have said witness testimony is key to proving the various aspects of the RICO charge against Combs, including establishing the workings of a criminal enterprise and coercion. Other cases: The federal government has used racketeering to go after a dozen college athletic figures and test administrators in the largest college admissions scandal ever prosecuted, former President Donald Trump and musicians like R. Kelly and Young Thug. Update: Date: Title: The jury is taking a short break. Catch up on what has happened in court so far Content: Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Cassie Ventura's who is testifying under an immunity order, completed her testimony this morning. Enrique Santos is expected to be called to the stand when the jury returns from break. Here's what she testified this morning: Update: Date: Title: "I care about justice," Bongolan says, when questioned on her motives for accusing Combs Content: The defense briefly addressed Bryana Bongolan one more time before her testimony concluded, with attorney Nicole Westmoreland asking if her lawsuit against Combs is Bongolan's 'opportunity to become a millionaire.' 'I can't agree with that,' Bongolan said. Westmoreland pointed out that Bongolan is seeking $10 million in her civil lawsuit and asked if Bongolan cared about becoming a millionaire. 'I care about justice,' Bongolan said. She is now off the stand and court is going to a break. The jury was dismissed until 1:30 p.m. ET. Update: Date: Title: Bongolan testifies she's certain Combs held her on balcony Content: Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser asked Bryana Bongolan if she had testified truthfully to the best of her recollection about the alleged incident with Sean 'Diddy' Combs on Cassie Ventura's balcony. Bongolan said yes and acknowledged she doesn't remember every single detail, but said she'll never forget some parts of that altercation. Bongolan said she was terrified in that moment and said, 'I will never forget him holding me on that balcony.' Smyser also asked Bongolan, 'Do you yourself know the exact date of when the balcony incident occurred?' 'No,' Bongolan said. 'Why do you not know that exact date?' 'Because it was a while ago,' Bongolan said. In closing the redirect examination, Smyser asked Bongolan, 'Regardless of the exact date, do you have any doubt that Mr Combs held you up on that balcony on the 17th floor?' 'I have no doubt,' Bongolan said. Update: Date: Title: Bongolan says Ventura asked to name her in lawsuit before filing Content: Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser is beginning redirect. Bryana Bongolan testified that she and Cassie Ventura had only one conversation about Ventura's lawsuit before it was filed in November 2023. Ventura asked Bongolan if she could name her in the complaint in connection with the balcony incident, according to Bongolan. Bongolan said she did not know what information would be included in Ventura's suit. Bongolan said that at some point after Ventura's lawsuit was filed, she told Ventura that some details about the balcony incident were incorrect. Bongolan testified that during that conversation, she told Ventura 'exactly what happened to me.' Update: Date: Title: Defense asks Bongolan directly if she's lying to the jury before wrapping up cross-examination Content: Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland asked Bryana Bongolan to confirm that 'Mr. Combs did not cause you the injuries that you showed us that we saw on your phone with the metadata from September 26, 2016.' 'I can't agree with you,' Bongolan said. In her final question, Westmoreland pressed further, saying: 'You came in here and you lied to the ladies and gentlemen of the jury.' 'I can't agree with you,' Bongolan replied once again. Westmoreland's cross examination is over. Update: Date: Title: Combs' attorney questions Bongolan's timeline of alleged balcony incident Content: Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland suggested the alleged balcony incident couldn't have happened when Bryana Bongolan says it did because Sean 'Diddy' Combs was traveling on the East Coast to perform in the Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour and Cassie Ventura was with him. Combs performed in Newark, New Jersey, on September 25 2016, Westmoreland said, and Combs and Ventura went to an event in New York City on September 26. In her testimony, Bongolan linked the alleged balcony altercation to a photo of a bruise on her leg that she said was taken hours after the incident. According to metadata from Bongolan's phone, the photo was taken on the morning of September 26. Westmoreland also showed the jury records for 'Frank Black' from the Trump International Hotel in New York City, which included dining receipts for September 25 and 26, 2016. Records from the Trump Hotel stay showed the check-in date was September 24, 2016, and the check-out date was September 29, 2016. 'You agree that one person can't be in two places at the same time,' Westmoreland asked. Bongolan responded, 'In theory, yeah,' and 'I can't answer that one.' Update: Date: Title: Combs messaged Bongolan about friends stopping each other from making mistakes while high Content: Sean 'Diddy' Combs sent Bryana Bongolan a message saying that friends should try to stop each other from making mistakes when they get high together. 'If you're gonna do k with her at least have her back,' Combs wrote, according to the message read aloud in court. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland asked Bongolan if she believed Combs wanted her to stop using so many drugs with Cassie Ventura. 'I can't speak for him,' Bongolan said. Update: Date: Title: Defense questions why Bongolan maintained contact with Ventura and Combs after alleged attack Content: The defense is pressing Bryana Bongolan over her continued friendship with Cassie Ventura and proximity to Sean 'Diddy' Combs in the time after he allegedly held her over a 17-story balcony in 2016. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland pointed out that in the weeks following the alleged attack, Bongolan texted Ventura offering to get Combs a hoodie. 'We were trying to be cool,' Bongolan said. According to text messages from October 9, 2016, between Ventura and Bongolan, she also agreed to sleep over at Ventura's apartment about two weeks after the balcony incident took place, according to her testimony. 'Isn't it true that you continued to hang out with Mr. Combs and you continued to spend the night at Ms. Ventura's house because Mr. Combs did not cause you those injuries?' Westmoreland asked Bongolan. 'Part of that statement is correct and part of that statement I can't agree with,' Bongolan replied. Update: Date: Title: Bongolan says she kept her distance from Combs after alleged incident Content: Bryana Bongolan testified that she continued to see Sean 'Diddy' Combs occasionally after the balcony incident in late September 2016. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland asked if she was afraid to be around Combs. 'I kept my distance,' Bongolan said. Bongolan confirmed that she went to one of Combs' concerts on October 4, 2016. 'I don't think I was around him most of the time,' she said. She also confirmed that she went to a club that Combs rented out the following day, on October 5. Westmoreland asked if she wore her neck brace to the private party. 'I probably should have but didn't,' Bongolan said. Update: Date: Title: Defense presses Bongolan on whether Cassie Ventura saw balcony incident Content: Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland asked Bryana Bongolan if her longtime friend Cassie Ventura witnessed the moment Sean 'Diddy' Combs allegedly dangled her over a balcony, which has been central to Bongolan's testimony in Combs' federal criminal trial. Bongolan said she heard Ventura's voice during the incident, but said she couldn't speak for her. Westmoreland suggested Bongolan had told prosecutors several times that Ventura saw the incident. 'I spoke to them, but again, I don't recall,' Bongolan said. Update: Date: Title: Bongolan shown texts with drug photos she sent Ventura after alleged threat from Combs Content: Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland showed Bryana Bongolan texts with photos of drugs that Bongolan sent to Cassie Ventura in the month after she alleges Sean 'Diddy' Combs threatened her at a photoshoot in April 2016. Bongolan testified that the images she sent Ventura appear to be drugs, but said she isn't sure what type. Bongolan confirmed that she and Ventura continued their friendship as usual at the time, despite the alleged threats from Combs. Update: Date: Title: Bongolan is back on the stand Content: Bryana Bongolan, a longtime friend of Cassie Ventura, is on the stand. The jury is entering now. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland is continuing cross-examination. Update: Date: Title: Judge questions relevance of Bongolan's alleged balcony incident in Combs case Content: Judge Arun Subramanian asked the prosecution why Bryana Bongolan's alleged balcony incident is relevant to the charges against Sean 'Diddy' Combs in the indictment. Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said the incident with Bongolan in Cassie Ventura's apartment shows the jury how Combs' violence extended beyond Ventura to other people close to her, which helps prove Combs' alleged coercion of Ventura. Bongolan's testimony will continue shortly. Update: Date: Title: Combs accuser expected to read text messages aloud in court during her closely watched testimony Content: Jane, one of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' accusers who is testifying under a pseudonym, will read text message conversations aloud in the courtroom when she takes the stand, prosecutors said this morning. The discussion arose as a group of media outlets argued for access to the exhibits admitted into evidence during Jane's testimony. As of now, the judge has said no exhibits will be shown to the public in the courtroom and the prosecution will eventually release the exhibits to the press. While Judge Arun Subramanian denied the media application, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey said she'll have Jane read text messages aloud, so they'll be heard in open court and captured on the record in the daily transcript. When to expect Jane on the stand: The defense's cross-examination of Bryana Bongolan, a longtime friend of Cassie Ventura, is expected to continue this morning. Prosecutors have said they'll call Enrique Santos next. His time on the stand is expected to be short, and afterward, Jane's closely watched testimony is expected to begin. Update: Date: Title: Balcony incident testimony shows "mob-like behavior" prosecutors need to prove case, legal expert says Content: A woman's testimony that Sean 'Diddy' Combs' dangled her over a 17-story balcony demonstrated the 'mob-like behavior' that prosecutors need to prove racketeering conspiracy, former federal prosecutor Alyse Adamson said today. Bryana Bongolan testified yesterday that Combs held her over a balcony and threw her onto balcony furniture in September 2016. The incident was previously mentioned in a civil suit filed by Bongolan against Combs in November 2024. 'I think it's extremely impactful, if the jury ultimately believes it,' Adamson said on 'CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish.' 'That's mob-like behavior,' Adamson said. 'And that's what prosecutors need' to prove the racketeering conspiracy aspect of the case. 'He needs to be behaving in a pattern of abuse, threats, and violence. That's the theme.' Adamson said it was notable that Bongolan was not an intimate partner of Combs. 'I think the prosecution scored points eliciting this testimony, but now we're going to see how she holds up on cross,' Adamson said. Bongolan is set to return to the stand for more cross-examination at 11 a.m. today. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to life in prison. Adamson noted 'it only takes one juror' for there to be a hung jury. 'The defense seems to be extremely strategic in how they are doing things,' Adamson said. 'Sometimes the strategy isn't always, 'Well, let's just get a straight acquittal.' … Sometimes we need to be more surgical, more strategic' and focus on jurors who are 'feeling our narrative.' Update: Date: Title: This is a recap of what happened in court yesterday Content: A forensic video expert and a woman who said Sean 'Diddy' Combs dangled her over a balcony took the stand yesterday in the hip-hop mogul's federal criminal trial. Here's what we learned in testimony Wednesday: Hotel surveillance video was not manually altered, expert says Woman says Combs held her over a balcony Bongolan talks threats and drug use Update: Date: Title: Here's who has taken the stand so far in the Combs' trial Content: Bryana Bongolan, a longterm friend of Cassie Ventura, and a forensic audio and video editor took the stand yesterday in the criminal trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Bongolan is expected to testify again this morning. Here's a look at who else has taken the stand:
Gizmodo
33 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Kevin Smith Is Very Excited About His Idea for ‘Dogma 2'
The 'Clerks,' 'Mallrats,' and 'Red State' director has cracked the idea for the long-awaited sequel. If it feels like you've been hearing about Kevin Smith's Dogma a lot in recent weeks, that's by design. Though the film's 25th anniversary was last year, writer and director Kevin Smith took his time with it, prepping a massive national tour of the film that's been happening for a few months now. It's also being re-released into select theaters starting today. The jewel of that celebration, though, was a screening at the Cannes Film Festival last month and there, Smith spoke about how he's finally got an idea to go back to the world of Mooby's and the Buddy Christ for Dogma 2. 'I cracked the story,' Smith told Deadline. 'I absolutely love it. I feel like when people see it, they'll be like, 'Oh, I get it,' like 'that makes sense' kind of thing. Hopefully they'll be like, 'that's clever' and not be like, 'Well shit, I would have done that.'' Smith, of course, didn't say what his idea was, but did hint that it has a place in it for everyone in the original movie. That, presumably, includes stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, and others. 'I will set a place at the table for everyone who was in the first movie who is still alive,' Smith said. 'Sadly, Alan [Rickman] and George [Carlin] won't be able to join us, but I'll set a place at the table for all of them. If they want to come back, they'll have a role to play, but if not, no harm, no foul. The story I'm telling can definitely make use of everybody who is in Dogma, but I can also tell it without. So, that makes me pretty excited to go forward. It's its own unique tale.' Though Smith's career has shifted in recent years, with a focus on smaller, weirder movies like Tusk, Yoga Hosers, and The 4:30 Movie, he knows that if he does decide to make a Dogma sequel, he can't do so lightly. 'It's like one of the last fucking movies I ever made that's beloved across the boards and shit like that,' he said. 'I would never step up to the plate unless I was like, 'Oh, this will fucking work nicely as a companion piece.' So, I feel pretty great about it, man. But of course during the whimsy stage one always feels great about it. It's when you make it and everyone sees it and they're like, 'Well, that fucking sucks. You should have left well enough alone.' You just hope it doesn't come to that.' Finally, Smith's ultimate ambition with Dogma 2 would be to debut it at Cannes, where he debuted the original in 1999 and where he screened it again in 2025 to a very enthusiastic crowd. ''Why is it that you assume that the Cannes-worthy portion of your life is over?'' Smith asked himself. ''You never even expected it to begin in the first place. It was never part of the aim. It just came along with the journey. Maybe if you really try, you could.' So, it was the 78th edition this year and so I was like, 'You know what? I wanna come back on the 80th, or the 81st at the latest with the Dogma sequel, like that's a Cannes-worthy movie.' And so, I said that on stage when I was intro-ing and everybody applauded, and [festival director] Thierry Frémaux was on stage with me, and he adds, 'If it is good,' and I was like, 'Fair enough, if it's good, yes.'' Can Smith turn that idea into a script and get it funded? He's done it in recent years with Jay and Silent Bob as well as Clerks. So, as the stars of Dogma might say, you've just got to have faith. Head over to Deadline to read much, much more from Smith about Dogma, Cannes, and more. And check out Dogma in theaters now.
