Kevin Smith's 1990s slacker comedy cult classic, Mallrats, has long been in need of a modern-day sequel, but will Mallrats 2 ever actually happen? Released in 1995 to little critical or commercial fanfare, Mallrats concerns a pair of aimless slackers (played by Jeremy London and Jason Lee) who spend an eventful day at the local mall after one of them breaks off their long-term relationship. Released in the wake of director Kevin Smith's groundbreaking indie hit, Clerks, Mallrats captured the cultural zeitgeist of the mid-'90s, but failed to score at the box office like its predecessor.

Bookended by much bigger hits in Kevin Smith's lengthy filmography, Mallrats is nevertheless a cult classic, and Smith has been keen on keeping the legend alive. Sequel hopes have been high in the nearly 30 years since the movie debuted, and Smith has been hard at work on various Mallrats projects even as other films and shows continue to take precedent. It's confirmed that plans are in place to bring the 1990s time capsule back for the modern era, but the question remains whether or not Mallrats 2 will ever actually get out of the development phase and enter production.

Mallrats 2 Latest News

Kevin Smith Explains Why Mallrats 2 Hasn't Happened Yet

Though his films aren't always critical darlings, Smith's die-hard fanbase would certainly step up to a sequel.

As the years continue to slide by without solid confirmation of a sequel, the latest news finds Kevin Smith explaining Mallrats 2's delays. The indie film legend has been championing a sequel for years, and has even submitted completed scripts to Universal, which is where the project always seems to stall. As Smith explained, "Any time I turn in a script, the good folks at Universal are like, 'This is neither fast nor furious.' So, we never go anywhere."

Smith went on to explain that Universal's control over the Mallrats IP is potentially holding up the project, and the New Jersey native would be willing to independently finance the sequel if Universal would only let the script go. Smith went on to say "We’re not asking Universal to finance it, but it’s just like, hey, can we have it so we can go out because I can get that movie financed in a heartbeat, Mallrats 2." Though his films aren't always critical darlings, Smith's die-hard fanbase would certainly step up to a sequel.

After all that, Smith concluded by saying:

So, hopefully it can go forward and if it doesn’t, I get it. I’m not spoiled where it’s like, “I get to make everything I want!” If I can’t make a Mallrats sequel, I will live and make something else, but it looks like we’re going back at it to see if it’s possible this time, and hopefully Universal is just like, “Yeah, go ahead and take it.”

Mallrats 2 Is Not Confirmed

The Sequel Has Been In Development For Years

Mallrats 2 is not confirmed, though there's always a chance that it could take the next step at any moment. Kevin Smith has offered a slew of script updates over the years, and it's clear that the ideas have been flowing since the original film was released. Unfortunately, the project has been stuck in development, and without a chance of getting financed, the movie can't move forward. Smith explained in September 2024 that Universal has no interest in Mallrats 2, but their control of the IP makes independent financing impossible until they release their hold on the 1990s classic.

Mallrats premiered on October 20, 1995.

Mallrats 2 Cast Details

Kevin Smith's Script Calls For The Entire Original Cast

Despite the fact that Mallrats 2 is not an official project yet, Kevin Smith's many script updates have offered a clear picture of what the cast could look like. In 2020, Smith revealed his Mallrats 2 script brings back the whole cast, though that feat has become unattainable in the years since. While the majority of the cast is still active in the business, the unfortunate ing of Shannen Doherty in July 2024 has cast a dark cloud over the comedy sequel. Likewise, comic book legend Stan Lee's death at the age of 95 in 2018 makes another cameo impossible.

On the other hand, Mallrats is a Jay and Silent Bob movie, meaning the two slacker superheroes will almost certainly make another memorable appearance. Furthermore, Ben Affleck has expressed interest in having a larger role this time around and actors like Bruce Campbell and Michael Rooker were both attached to Mallrats 2 at some point in its development. However, no one is officially part of the cast yet.

The presumptive cast of Mallrats 2 includes:

Mallrats 2 Story Details

The Mall Has Changed A Lot In 30 Years

Smith has made a few sequels (Clerks III specifically) that explore the idea of his slacker character finally growing up, and Mallrats 2 could serve the same purpose.

Kevin Smith hasn't dropped too many specifics about his plans for Mallrats 2, but he has given hints. Back during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Smith mentioned that the sequel would explore the pandemic's effects on malls and this thread still makes a lot of sense, even if the pandemic is taken out of the equation. Mallrats is a time capsule to the 1990s, and the mall-centric culture of the day is no longer relevant in the modern age of online shopping. This has caused malls all around the world to collapse, and the sequel could explore that urban decay.

More specifically, the sequel could catch up with Brodie and TS as they slide into middle age in a world that is rapidly changing around them. Smith has made a few sequels (Clerks III specifically) that explore the idea of his slacker character finally growing up, and Mallrats 2 could serve the same purpose. Perhaps TS and Brodie's relationship is strained because the former wants to mature while the latter is still stuck in the 1990s slacker mindset.