The Veronica Mars Movie Is Actually Happening Thanks To The Internet!
For years Kristen Bell and Rob Thomas (not the musician) have been hounded by fans and reporters all asking the same question: “When are you going to make a Veronica Mars movie?” And up until yesterday the answer has always been “I don’t know”. That is until the internet stepped up to make the impossible happen.
For those not in the know, Rob Thomas created the Veronica Mars TV show and led it to three critically acclaimed seasons. Even though ratings were steadily increasing, the network pulled the plug leaving fans of the show to wonder what had happened to their heroine. Well, with continued fan pressure, plus a love for the universe he created, Thomas did something nobody could have predicted. He gathered up all of the principal actors, found a time frame to shoot the movie, and approached Warner Brothers with a unique proposal; If he could raise $2 million would they allow him to shoot the movie and fund the marketing and distribution.
Warner Brothers unbelievably agreed, paving the way for this Kickstarter project. Which is when things got crazy.
Within 10 short hours, the project not only reached it’s goal of $2 million, but has sailed right past it and is presently approaching the $3 million dollar mark! With 29 more days to go in the campaign, all the additional money raised will help production costs on the film making it that much better.
What’s really important to note is what Rob Thomas has actually done here. This project, depending on how successful the finished film is, could open the door for more films to be made in this manner. All of a sudden fans have a voice at the table that was previously limited to studio executives. If Community doesn’t get renewed, could fans fund a new season on Netfilx? How about a Babylon 5 film? The possibilities are endless. What about you, dear reader, if you could give money to make a once-dead property rise from the grave, what would it be?
UPDATED (March 15, 2013, 3:20pm): The kickstarter has surpassed the $3million mark edging up to $3.5million with 28 days left in the campaign.
In an exclusive interview with Alan Sepinwall, Rob Thomas talks about the careful planning and preperation for this kickstarter project and the the hows and whys of using this type of model. Perhaps even more importantly, he addresses the criticisms surrounding this kind of project being funded by kickstarter. It’s a must read for Veronica Mars fans and kickstarter fans alike.
