The "Veronica Mars" TV show wrapped in 2007, but that hasn't stopped fans and star Kristen Bell from wishing for a sequel out loud and on the Internet for years. Show creator Rob Thomas even pitched a feature-length movie about the young amateur detective, now in her college years, but was turned down. That's not stopping them, though.
With Bell's encouragement, fans have signed petitions and tweeted at Warner Bros. to no avail. Now they're pitching in to Kickstart the flick themselves. According to EW.com, if the project raises $2M in 30 days, and only if it reaches that amount, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution will produce, market, and distribute the film with a limited theatrical run and digital release.
Although the Kickstarter package is full of goodies for fans, even those who can only afford to kick in $10, it's still raising some dust that a project of this size being fronted by Bell and Thomas is being launched on what's essentially a platform for independent artists. Then again, it sounds like their last resort, as WB didn't think the project would have a wide enough reach to offset the budget and marketing costs.
The ballyhooed Lindsay Lohan film "The Canyons" was Kickstarted for a mere $159,015 (the goal was $100K), but it ruffled some feathers by highlighting the fact that a film directed by Paul Schrader and written by Bret Easton Ellis had to be fronted by regular folks. A successful Kickstarter campaign can be a thorny issue, too, as musician Amanda Palmer learned after raising $1,192,793 (the goal was $100K) for a record, art book, and tour.
In any case, the brand-new "Veronica Mars" project has already raised over $300K as of this writing, with 30 days left to go. Perhaps this is the new frontier of filmmaking… and perhaps studios should be a little nervous.
[via EW.com]
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