MALLRATS 2: Is Kevin Smith Hard at Work or Hardly Working?

Smith Confirms Mallrats Sequel. After dropping a massive hint on twitter last week about the possibility of a Mallrats sequel, Kevin Smith went and made it official. Smith appeared on the radio program Rock 102 Mornings with Shmonty & Carolina and officially announced his intentions to follow up his 1995 cult classic film.

Here’s what Smith had to say,

Yeah, that’s what we’re working on. It’s half a script right now, and we’re pulling our loot together. We’ve got up until the beginning of 2016. By the time we get to May 2016, we’re going to be shooting.

Lately I’ve been doing this thing where I’m like, ‘Do you want to do what’s good for your career, or do you just want to have fun?

The announcement of a Mallrats sequel is a definite outlier in regard to Hollywood’s current miserly filmmaking mentality. Kevin Smith’s work is divisive to say the least. His filmography consists of movies that are generally hated by critics and loved by a small yet extremely passionate fan base. Smith’s films range from modest commercial successes to financial failures. Considering that Smith’s financial investors take on such a high level of risk with every film that he produces, it is fascinating not only that he continues to work but also that he has grown more prolific at this late stage in his career.

Hollywood operates under the sacred C.R.E.A.M. rule (Cash Rules Everything Around Me). The first priority is ALWAYS for a film to make a return on its initial investment. For the past decade, studios have grown increasingly risk averse. Hollywood keeps on churning out reboots, prequels and sequels because selling established brands is the most efficient way to hedge their bets. How is it then that Kevin Smith can come along and produce a sequel to a movie that only made back $2 million dollars of its $6 million dollar budget? Even Smith himself admits that the public doesn’t have Mallrats on its collective mind when he states,

Nobody’s clamoring for a Mallrats sequel, but I would love to make one. It’s been like 20 years.

Although Smith himself would be the first one to admit what he lacks in filmmaking acumen, his true genius is evident in the way that he established himself as a mogul. In terms of reaching out to an audience, Smith has been ahead of the curve for years. Studios are just beginning to realize that it is more lucrative to pander to a small rabid fan base (that will support their product through blu-ray sales, merchandising and social media) than to a large apathetic following.

Smith has proven himself to be a trailblazer when it comes to staying relevant with fans. Smith is active on social media, frequently reaches his fans through his expansive podcast network and constantly takes his act on the road to connect with live audiences. Sure, one could argue that he could dedicate some of that time to enhancing his technical skills as a director but that is beside the point. While most hotshot directors are pulling their hair out, shaving years off their life drowning under the crushing waves of studio notes, Kevin Smith is having fun, making the art that he wants to make for people who are ecstatic for what he has to offer. That sounds like a pretty solid gig.

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Sourece: The Hollywood Reporter