She 'Really Wanted to Do' Mallrats 2 (Exclusive): Kevin Smith Recalls Last Conversation with Shannen Doherty

Director Kevin Smith is opening up about the last time he spoke to the late Shannen Doherty.

While attending the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 on Saturday, July 27, the filmmaker, 53, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about his final conversation with the Charmed actress, who died in July after living with cancer for several years.

Smith says that the first time he went to the popular fan convention was in 1995. At the time, Doherty joined him to promote their buddy comedy flick Mallrats.

"It was weird when it came out, it didn't do well. But when we first came to the Comic-Con 29 years ago, man, we were embraced and we were largely embraced because of her, because she had the credibility in the crowd,” he tells PEOPLE of Doherty.

"She drew the attention. That was at a time where famous people wouldn't come to f------ Comic-Con," he adds.

More recently, Smith says they discussed her coming out to Vulgarathon in New Jersey, which begins on Aug. 3 and will feature screenings of eight of the director’s movies — including Mallrats.

"The last conversations we were having was about her coming out to Jersey for the Vulgarathon because she had done a bunch of cons and whatnot, and she met the Mallrats contingency and stuff," he says. "So I was like, 'Oh my God, Shannen, you come and watch the movie in our theater and stuff, that -

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'll just put you on the throne.' "

He also says that she "really wanted to do" Mallrats 2, titled Twilight of the Mallrats. 

Smith shares that one of his producers recently brought up getting the sequel "going again" after he had closed the door following Doherty's death.

"At the very least, as a 'for Shannen', that'd be a cool thing to do," he says about the potential movie.

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In January, Smith appeared on Doherty’s Let’s Be Clear podcast to reflect on their time spent making the cult classic film, during which she spoke about wanting to go to a convention with the director and discussed the potential sequel.

"We’ve had a script for quite some time, which later on, if you kids are good, I will force Shannen to read,” he said on the episode.

"I mean, I have read the script,” she responded, before saying she would do a cold reading. 

She then read a scene from the script in a follow-up podcast episode with Smith in February.

"It’s sweet and nostalgic,” she said of the script at the time. “But in a really, really good way."

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