As a pretty big fan of filmmaker Kevin Smith, I tend to be inclined to support whatever project he’s interested in making, be it a new movie, a new podcast, or anything in between. Even so, I was initially a bit confused as to why Smith was looking to follow up Clerks III (which I’m hugely looking forward to) and his next two Canadian set genre outings (this year’s Yoga Hosers and the still to be shot Moose Jaws) with a sequel to Mallards. Yes, it’s developed over the years from a box office disappointment to one of his most beloved titles, but was anyone yearning for Mallrats 2? Then, I listened to Smith explain why and now, not just am I on board, I think it has the potential to be the rare 90’s movie reunion that really works.
The reason that Smith decided to make Mallrats 2 was to honor his friend and Mallrats producer Jim Jacks, who passed away about a year ago. As a way of honoring Jacks, a man who had once upon a time championed a potential sequel, Smith recently decided to make it a reality. As much as this could be just another one of those interesting announcements that go nowhere, that hasn’t been the case. Over the past few weeks, Smith has been on social media slowly teasing all of the former cast members who are coming back to the mall, as it were. That’s pretty impressive, regardless of the cast. For those who don’t remember, Mallrats starred Jeremy London, Jason Lee, Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, Ethan Suplee, Michael Rooker, Renee Humphrey, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Mewes, Ben Affleck, as well as Stan Lee in a cameo and of course Smith himself as Silent Bob. Right now, only Adams, Affleck, and Forlani have yet to sign on.
Sequels tend to be inherently unnecessary, but there’s something about this one that feels like it could be a ton of fun, especially when you consider what a lovely place this idea is coming from. Honoring a fallen colleague and pushing his own early whimsy is a winning formula in my book. Smith has already said that he’s got three more cast members to rope back in, so while that could mean Adams, Affleck, and Forlani are up next, there’s probably someone else who’s the final name, with Affleck just an added bonus if he has time [...]
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