Developer: Kevin Smith filming ‘Mallrats’ sequel at Delco’s Granite Run Mall now ‘doesn’t look likely’
After months of speculation, it now appears that New Jersey native and director Kevin Smith won’t be bringing Jay and Silent Bob to Delaware County’s Granite Run Mall for his upcoming Mallrats sequel, Mallbrats.
After months of speculation, it now appears that New Jersey native and director Kevin Smith won't be bringing Jay and Silent Bob to Delaware County's Granite Run Mall for his upcoming Mallrats sequel, Mallbrats.
Michael Markman, president of Granite Run Mall parent company BET Investments, says that filming now "doesn't look likely," telling the Delaware County Times that a "snag with the movie people" has caused a change in plans. He unfortunately could not elaborate further.
Smith initially planned to film Clerks III in the Philadelphia area thanks to a $2.1 million tax credit but changed his schedule to favor Mallbrats shortly after being approved for the credit.
Unfortunately, timing has been the issue with the proposed project from the start, with Markman telling us in May that BET Investments hopes to begin redeveloping portions of the mall this fall, which didn't jibe with Mallbrats production schedule.
""The issue is if they're going to be ready to do filming," Markman said back in May. "Going forward, we will need to work out a deal. If they can complete plans prior to demolition, we would love to work with them."
As recently as July, however, that deal appeared to have been close, with Smith himself stopping by Granite Run Mall with his daughter for a quick scouting trip.
"Come October, this might be the Mall, y'all … #MallBrats #Delco," Smith wrote in an Instagram message showing him at the Delaware County mall.
Markman, as the Delco Times indicates, has since taken steps to move the redevelopment project forward:
If council approves the amendment, along with the final land development plan on Oct. 26, demolition of the Granite Run Mall's interior could begin between Nov. 15 and Dec. 15, and would take about three months to complete.
And while Delco might be losing a Kevin Smith movie, the Times reports that they'll get to keep Granite Run's Sears, Sears Automotive, and Boscov's. So, uh, there's that.
Please, Kevin, say it ain't so.