Exton Square Mall loses ‘Mallrats’ sequel
Creator Kevin Smith posts on social media announce end to ‘MallBrats’ project for now
WEST WHITELAND » Cut.
The Exton Square Mall is taking in stride news that it won’t be featured in movie theaters anytime soon.
Earlier this month, Kevin Smith put out word via social media that a “Mallrats” sequel that was to be shot at Exton Square Mall won’t happen in the foreseeable future.
“While Exton Square Mall would have energized the local community around this fun experience, we understood that the project had been on hold and are not surprised with the outcome,” said Jennifer Smith, marketing director at Exton Square Mall. “If the project resumes and we have space available, we would consider welcoming them back to Exton Square Mall.”
Smith, who rose to fame in the mid-’90s with his cult classic grunge-era films “Clerks” and “Mallrats,” which he wrote, directed and acted in, has long been a favorite amongst “GenerationXers.” Known for his witty dialog and relatable characters, Smith seemed to carve out a niche onscreen for spotlighting the youth culture in suburban settings.
The mall’s statement may have been a bit anticlimactic given the high expectations created when Smith announced he would be shooting a sequel to “Mallrats,” the 1995 movie seen by some as a cult classic.
Fans at first thought “MallBrats” might be filmed at Granite Run Mall and, when that didn’t work out, Exton Square Mall. Alas, their dreams were dashed when Smith put out via Facebook the following earlier this month:
“Sadly, Clerks III can’t happen (one of our four leads opted out of the flick). So I worked on a #Mallrats movie instead ... which also didn’t happen because it turned into a #Mallrats series. I’ve pitched said sequel series to 6 different networks only to find no takers thus far. Mind you, I’m not complaining: nobody gets to make EVERYTHING they wanna make in this business (do they?).”
In a September 2015 Digital First Media story, Smith confirmed via social media he planned to film “MallBrats” at the Exton Square Mall starting in January 2016.
Smith’s original plans to film at the Granite Run Mall in Delaware County fell through first. Granite Run was set for demolition starting in the fall of 2015, and Smith could not start shooting the film until January. After weeks of rumors, Smith in September of 2015 confirmed via tweets that he would be filming at Exton Square Mall.
“We found our MALL, y’all! This January, @ExtonSquareMall in Exton, PA will star #Mallrats 2!” Smith said on his Twitter page in 2015.
Smith had planned to have all 18 of the original stars from “Mallrats” return to reprise their characters in “MallBrats,” including Shannen Doherty, Jason Lee, Jeremy London and Joey Lauren Adams. Smith himself, along with Jason Mewes, were to return as his two most loved characters, Jay and Silent Bob, the Daily Local News reported at the time.
Although the “Mallrats” sequel has been scrapped, there is some silver lining for fans of Smith’s movies. Smith said in his Facebook post that he is now working on a reboot of “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” which he hopes to begin shooting this summer.
Perhaps fans can also take heart at the last line of Smith’s recent Facebook post.
“You CAN do anything you want in life,” he wrote, “so long as you’re patient and malleable. #KevinSmith”