The status of the planned redevelopment of North DeKalb Mall is still unclear, but there is renewed interest in the mall for a familiar alternative use. As first reported by our friends at Decaturish, the mall is currently being used as a location for the new feature film Fear Street, a movie adaptation of the popular R.L. Stine book series by the same name. R.L. Stine's other popular book series, Goosebumps, has already been brought to the big screen with Goosebumps and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, in 2015 and 2018 respectively, both of which were filmed in Georgia.
Efforts to re-image the mall, while only short-term for Fear Street's filming, have brought and will likely continue to bring increased activity and interest in the "dead mall" in the weeks to come.
Signage at the Lawrenceville Highway facing entrance of the former Macy's indicates that the mall is being rechristened "Stony Hill Mall" for the filming. Inside the mall, which originally opened in 1965, formerly vacant storefronts, of which there are many, have been brought back to life. Onetime tenant B. Dalton Bookseller is "open for business" once again (although in a different space in the mall from where it once operated.)
Among the notable storefronts already created for the filming are Gadzooks, Software ETC, Casual Corner, joyce-selby shoes and musicland.
Other stores and restaurants believed to have been created for the filming that may have regional or plot significance are Wheeler Gift, a toy and gift store, Grand St. Deli and Primo's Italian Eatery, food court offerings, and The Tick Tock Tavern, a full service restaurant which occupies space previously home to both Buffalo's Cafe, and before that, KB Toys.
Fear Street, which IMDB refers to as a "murder mystery," is reportedly set in Shadyside, Ohio. Shadyside, an actual town, is located along the Ohio River and is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Area. There is no indication that Stony Hill Mall was ever an actual mall in Shadyside.
Books in the window display at B. Dalton such as John Grisham's The Chamber and Stephen King's Insomnia suggest that the film is set in 1994.
Shelbia Jackson, Director of the DeKalb Entertainment Commission, told Decaturish that Fear Street is the third production to film at the mall thus far this year. "Brooklyn,” the production designation for HBO’s Watchmen television series, and Zombieland 2 filmed at North DeKalb Mall earlier this year.
This past May, ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report on the filming of the third season of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things at Gwinnett Place Mall. Gwinnett Place, another "dead mall," was brought back to life as "Starcourt Mall"for the show's filming and as at North DeKalb now, the series set designers created a dozen or so faux stores for the show's filming. Starcourt, like Stony Hill, is a fictitious mall created for the filming, which in the case of Stranger Things, was set in 1985. Season 3 of Stranger Things is expected to debut July 4.
The first installment of what is expected to be a Fear Street trilogy is slated to be released sometime in 2020.
The redevelopment of North DeKalb Mall, something we have discussed on this site for about a decade, would have in its latest iteration included about 400 hundred apartments, dozens of town-homes, and a 150 room hotel. There were also plans for new retail space, as well as a 14,500 square foot food hall, and office space. But, as tends to happen, the project got off track late last year when the mall’s owner, Sterling Organization, was reportedly unable to satisfy all the demands of the county and residents.
The Stony Hill Mall signage has been covered likely to prevent confusion for passers-by |
Real estate sources close to the situation indicate that the plan is not dead, but is perhaps no closer to happening now than it was two years ago.
That said, the mall seems to have found a good use for itself, excess parking lot space... and movie and television filming location.
Are you excited for the filming of Fear Street in metro Atlanta? If given the opportunity, would you want to be an extra in Fear Street? What is your favorite retailer that no longer exists today?
Please share your thoughts below
Are you excited for the filming of Fear Street in metro Atlanta? If given the opportunity, would you want to be an extra in Fear Street? What is your favorite retailer that no longer exists today?
Please share your thoughts below
p.s., For additional photos of Stony Hill Mall and its tenants check us out on IG: @TONETOATL
10 comments:
Having been a part of the 1st Goosebumps movie, if the same people are producing this one, it would be great to work on this one too. I had a blast! Y'all have fun...
No juicy Smollett!!!
I guess the only malls worth a damn are where the wealthy white people live, like in Buckhead or Buford. More Make America an Oligarchy of the 1% Again.
@ 11:14 AM Successful businesses are located where their (paying) customers are.
Green is the only color that matters
@April 25, 2019 at 11:14 AM
you sound very racist! As a black female real estate agent, it is all about location, location, location!!
If a community cannot support a local business than it will go out of business regardless of race.
The last time I was a Lennox mall, It was a well mix of people shopping. Not all white people spend money on goods! Us black folks like to shop as well!
buford has wealth?
Wealthy white people don't bother with shopping malls anymore. But at the same time they still have fond memories of the old mall food courts of their youth. That's when they head to Ponce City Market for their nostalgia fix.
It's NYB where wealthy people of any color (green) choose to live, shop or play. Maybe they (wealthy) are tired of being around uncivilized people. Concern YOUrself with YOUr problems and fix them to improve YOUr lifestyle and/or self inflicted victimhood.
always great conversation @ ToNeTo atl
I loved the Fear Street book series as a kid and can't wait for the movie to come out.
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