Studios Interested in Filming Store Blasting

Two movie studios have expressed interest in filming the planned implosion this summer of a vacant department store at the ailing Huntington Beach Mall.

The Broadway will be destroyed as part of a mall revitalization project.

Both Warner Bros. and United Artists have said they might be able to use the demolition for movie projects, mall spokesman Steven Rausch said. Warner Bros. in particular is interested in using the footage for “Lethal Weapon 4.”

“We’ve been in contact with the studios, but that doesn’t mean it will happen,” Rausch said. “It’s preliminary conversations.”

The city has targeted the 160-acre area for retail, office and commercial redevelopment. The property’s owners recently announced plans for an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment plaza, a much different look than the existing 1960s-era enclosed design.