Sarah Michelle Gellar is ‘here’ to fill in for the late Shannen Doherty in potential ‘Mallrats’ sequel

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — Sarah Michelle Gellar is happy to honor her late friend Shannen Doherty however she can – which may include stepping into a role that Doherty originated in the 1995 cult classic “Mallrats.”

Kevin Smith, the director of that film, spoke about his desire to bring a sequel to the big screen in a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, telling the publication he had recently learned that Gellar previously auditioned for a role in “Mallrats” nearly 30 years ago.

The revelation sparked an idea for how to make a sequel work without Doherty, who died in July after losing her years-long battle with cancer.

“I would ask Sarah to step in for Shannen if there’s a possibility that we get to make ‘Twilight of the Mallrats,’” Smith said, sharing a proposed title for the new film. “She’d bring Shannen’s warmth with her, and it’s maybe the next best thing to having Shannen there.”

Gellar got into the conversation herself on Wednesday, commenting that she’s “Here for this idea!!” in the comments section of the publication’s Instagram post about the interview with Smith.

Doherty played the role of Rene in “Mallrats,” a cult comedy about two friends who go hang out at the mall after getting dumped by their girlfriends. Directed by Smith, the film also stars Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Ben Affleck and Claire Forlani.

Smith wasn’t sure he’d ever get a “Mallrats” sequel off the ground after Doherty’s passing, especially since he shared the two had previously discussed her return to the franchise and that she had been on board to reprise her role.

His hope, however, was renewed in recent weeks, as Smith said “there’s been these weird glimmers of conversations” that the project could become a reality as a tribute to the late star.

“The only thing that would be better is if Shannen was still here with us and we did it like we planned,” Smith added. “Of course, I’d like to make the movie for me and many other reasons, but now there’s a special impetus. And we know who that movie is going to be dedicated to; that’s for damn sure.”

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