‘Jesus Christ!’ Kevin Smith pulls April Fools’ stunt promising liberation of Weinstein-controlled film.

“Dogma” has a glorious cast.

George Carlin, Alan Rickman, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris Rock, Alanis Morissette, Salma Hayek and more.

The New Jersey-set movie, released in 1999, grossed more than $30 million.

But “Dogma” is nowhere to be found on streaming and unavailable for digital purchase — for reasons director Kevin Smith has been very vocal about.

So when he “announced” Monday that his film comedy would be remastered for a 2024 release, Smith fans looked at the date and sighed.

The prospect of a remastered “Dogma” is an especially devastating April Fools’ joke for fans precisely because the film remains painfully out of reach for its maker.

Smith, who stars in the 1999 film as Silent Bob alongside Jason Mewes as Jay, has always made it clear that Harvey Weinstein owns the rights to the film.

“My movie about angels is owned by the devil himself,” Smith told the crowd at the 2022 “Clerks III” premiere in Red Bank.

Smith, who grew up in Highlands, explained that he tried three times to buy “Dogma” from the disgraced Hollywood mogul, who is in prison after being convicted of rape and sexual assault.

First, he offered $250,000, then $500,000, and finally, $1 million. Weinstein continually turned him down.

“Jesus Christ!” Smith said in a Facebook post teasing the alleged remastering of the film for 2024 release.

When NJ Advance Media asked about the April Fools’ post Monday, Smith confirmed it was a festive put-on.

“Just a joke, sadly,” he said.

That confirmation dashes the hopes of anyone hoping to see the film on something other than an old DVD.

The director has said that a “Dogma” sequel of any kind could only happen if he was able to get the rights to the film.

However, Smith was able to revisit a character from the movie in his 2019 film “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.”

Matt Damon made a guest appearances as Loki, the former angel of death, who reveals that as punishment for his behavior in “Dogma,” he was banished to Earth to live as Jason Bourne.

”I guess you could say I was born again,” Loki says in the film. “And what you’re looking at now is my re-Bourne identity.”

“Dogma,” an R-rated comedy that makes use of Smith’s Catholic education, stars Linda Fiorentino, an actor from Washington Township in South Jersey, as Bethany, a worker at an abortion clinic and the “last scion,” a descendant of Jesus.

Bethany is summoned to save humanity from the exploits of two fallen angels, Loki and Bartleby, played by Damon and Affleck. Their attempt to reenter Heaven could have disastrous consequences. Red Bank plays a pivotal role in the story of supernatural beings and ordinary humans wrestling for the future of existence.

Carlin plays a cardinal, Rickman plays Metatron, voice of God, Morissette plays God, Hayek plays the muse Serendipity and Rock plays Rufus, the 13th apostle.

The cast also includes Jason Lee (as the demon Azrael) and Newton native Janeane Garofalo, with appearances from more Smith regulars like “Clerks” stars Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson.

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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup.