Summary

  • Kevin Smith released the unseen Shortcom collab with Shannen Doherty in tribute to their friendship.
  • Smith intended to reunite with Doherty in a Mallrats sequel, which unfortunately never came to fruition.
  • The video features Smith and Doherty in starring roles.

Kevin Smith has honored his late debut movie Clerks, Smith’s decision to cast Doherty in his 1995 comedy Mallrats would begin a lifelong friendship between the two. Following Doherty’s recent ing on July 13, Smith posted a heartfelt tribute to his friend and co-star he fondly referred to as an “American icon.”

Taking to YouTube to celebrate Doherty’s life, Smith releases a clip of a 2013 mini-sitcom pilot filmed for Fox named Stubbs.

Smith introduces the clip by explaining that the 10-minute Shortcom was intended to feature in a scrapped Fox project that would have seen different pilots compete to be greenlit and become a full sitcom. Filmed in front of a live studio audience, Smith plays a movie theater owner opposite Doherty as his character’s filmmaking friend and unrequited love interest. Check out Smith’s explanation and the full video below:

In 2013 I was doing this project and I was like “Shan, we’re doing this project for Fox and there’s Shortcoms and one of them could become a sitcom. Do you want to come play?” Like we’d been in Mallrats together but I didn’t have any dialogue with her, Silent Bob doesn’t speak. But this was a chance to do dialogue, and man we had an absolute blast.

[The] project didn’t wind up happening and Fox scrapped the whole thing and nobody ever saw this, so it’s debuting here for the first time man and Shannen is wonderful in it and radiant.

What Ever Happened to Mallrats 2?

Smith Originally Planned To Reunite With Doherty In The Cult Movie's Sequel

When Smith burst onto the indie movie scene following the release of his debut movie, expectations were high for his follow-up project, Mallrats. Granted a $6.1 million budget that dwarfed the self-funded budget of $27,000 used for Clerks, Mallrats would go on to flop at the box office and only manage to recoup $2.1 million. Despite developing a strong cult following on home video, Doherty would later explain to Smith that ' box office failure essentially killed her burgeoning movie career. It would even be something the Stubbs clip refers to by having Doherty’s character’s own movie flop.

Despite this, Doherty and Smith remained close friends, and she would even appear briefly as herself in 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Smith also had long-gestating plans to see her return as Rene in the as-yet unmade Mallrats sequel, Twilight of the Mallrats. Going through various iterations, sadly, Smith would never get a chance to get Mallrats 2 off the ground prior to Doherty’s ing.

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However, as recently as January last year, Smith hinted that thanks to the response to Clerks III, there was still potential for Twilight of the Mallrats to go ahead. Sadly though, it will be too late to see Doherty return to her original View Askewniverse role. But if Smith ever does get his chance to make the Mallrats sequel, he will likely ensure it continues to honor Shannen's legacy and their enduring friendship. In the meantime, this new clip offers a better insight into the pair's unique onscreen chemistry and shared affection for one another.

Source: Kevin Smith/YouTube

Your Rating

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Mallrats
R
Romance
Comedy
8.7/10
Release Date
October 20, 1995
Runtime
94 minutes
Director
Kevin Smith

Cast

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Mallrats is the second film in Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse and a prequel to Clerks, focusing on two friends who bond at a mall after being dumped by their girlfriends. The film didn't perform well at the box office but has since become a cult classic and one of the most notable films in Smith's portfolio.

Writers
Kevin Smith
Sequel(s)
Mallrats 2
Budget
$6 million