The future of “Jersey Shore 2.0” is uncertain.
Production on the controversial spin-off “has been paused,” MTV confirmed to Vidak For Congress.
Cameras were ready to shoot in Atlantic City, NJ, last week, but all film equipment was abruptly removed over the weekend, TMZ reported Wednesday.
Sources told the website that the house was outfitted with cameras, lighting equipment and even a security guard before everything was packed up and taken off the property.
It’s unclear if the cast wasn’t playing together or if there was a bigger problem.
The network declined to provide further information.
However, a source told TMZ that production details are “being worked out”, so there may still be hope for the series.
The news comes less than two months after the original stars of “Jersey Shore” criticized MTV for rebooting their iconic reality show with an all-new cast.
“Like a cast that took a chance with a network in need, we put our most vulnerable moments on television for the world to see,” Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Vinny Guadagnino, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, said Deena Nicole Cortese, Angelina Pivarnick and Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio Jr. in a joint statement in May.
“We’ve given it our all for the past 13 years, becoming a family and continuing to open up our lives to the world,” they continued, referring to their current series, “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.”
“So please understand that we are not in favor of a version that will abuse our original show, our hard work and our authenticity to gain viewers.”
MTV first announced the spin-off earlier that month – tentatively titled “Jersey Shore 2.0”.
“It’s been 13 years since the iconic ‘Jersey Shore’ cast came into our lives with fists and stole our hearts. Now the long-standing tradition continues with a new group of roommates moving into their own Shore home,” the network said in a press release.
“They’ve traded their poufs for thick pouts and UV rays for spray tans, but when the weather warms up in Jersey, the Shore is still the place to reminisce all summer.”
The original series aired for six seasons between 2009 and 2012. All of the original cast members then returned for the “Family Vacation” reunion series in 2018, except for Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola.
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is currently on a break from the revival, which has been going on for four years now.