Mallrats Sequel to Film at Exton Square Mall

We found our MALL, y'all! This January, @ExtonSquareMall in Exton, PA will star #Mallrats 2! Thanks, StarStream! #MR2 pic.twitter.com/5zD4cAo9YR

— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) September 10, 2015

Kevin Smith is coming to Chester County.

The writer/director announced on Twitter today that a sequel to Mallrats will be filming in the Exton Square Mall early next year.

Mallrats was Smith’s follow-up to the cult indie hit Clerks, and starred Shannon Doherty, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams. The 1995 film flopped at the box office — grossing just over $2 million — and was panned by critics. Its is part of Smith’s “View Askewniverse” canon, a collection of films that all include slacker drug dealers Jay and Silent Bob, and has rehabbed its reputation a bit over the years.

Smith was originally supposed to film Clerks 3 in Philadelphia this summer, but earlier this year announced a shift in his shooting schedule. The sequel to Mallrats — called either Mallrats 2 or Mallbrats — will shoot before Smith makes the third Clerks film. The movie is being financed by StarStream Entertainment, which also found the location.

Earlier, Smith announced the mall would be blown up in the third act of the film; people speculated the movie could be filmed in the since-closed Granite Run Mall.

The new Mallrats film has much of its cast back for the sequel, including Doherty, Lee, Adams and Jason Mewes (who plays Jay). Even Claire Forlani is back! Stan Lee will even make another cameo. Affleck is the only major star from the first film who is not confirmed to return.

The Exton Square Mall is in Exton, a part of West Whiteland Township in Chester County. It was built in the early 1970s by The Rouse Company, the now-defunct shopping mall company that also built The Gallery at Market East and Cherry Hill Mall. The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust now owns and manages the mall.

Filming begins in January.