Earlier today, when we shared the news that the fate of the Veronica Mars movie was being put in the hands of the fans, with a Kickstarter page set up by Rob Thomas and the challenge to raise $2 million in 30 days, we questioned whether or not it could be done. $2 million is a high goal to hit in a month's time. In fact, it's the highest goal set for a Kickstarter project to date, which made the task seem even more daunting. But the fans have already risen to the challenge, pushing the total past the halfway point in less than five hours, and the number keeps ticking higher.
Per Deadline, the Veronica Mars movie campaign is the first on Kickstarter to hit the $1 million that fast in the history of the site, which is better known for funding low budget films and other creative projects that lack the support of a major studio or other source of funding. From what series creator Rob Thomas said in his Kickstarter post, the Veronica Mars movie's approval from Warner Bros. is pending the support of the fans. The speed at which the VM film's Kickstarter total is ticking is likely to taper off eventually, but at the rate it's going, it looks like it'll hit its goal soon. Fingers crossed!
As I mentioned, Kickstarter is traditionally used to gain funding to get independent films made. That doesn't quite apply here, but the sentiment remains the same, from a fan's perspective anyway. From the donor's perspective, the process is sort of like pre-ordering the movie, which could come with added incentives, which vary from campaign to campaign. Assuming things work out for Veronica Mars, it hits its budget minimum and the film gets put into production, this could prove to be a game changer for other potential films waiting in the wings.
For example, those desperate for a post-series Friday Night Lights movie might someday have the opportunity to put their money where their mouth is to make it happen. Of course, it's certainly worth noting that the budget is only one factor. Cast availability seems to be one of the most frequently referenced issues with the potential FNL film. The same would probably apply to any chance for another Firefly film as far as cast/Whedon availability is concerned. But if it's a matter of proving genuine interest through financial support from fans, Kickstarter may end up being the next step for those sequels, adaptations and TV show movie follow-ups people have been begging for. Money goes further than Mars Bars after all.
While some have already expressed concern about the idea of big studio projects coming in and taking over Kickstarter, which might take attention away from the smaller films trying to secure funding through the site, if and when Veronica Mars' campaign proves to be successful, it will be interesting to see which - if any - projects follow suit in seeking the financial support from its loyal fan base in order to get a film made.
In the meantime, the fate of the Veronica Mars movie is looking good right now, which is kind of amazing. Hopefully the film will hit its goal. To borrow an emotion of Kristen Bell herself…
Watch the first three seasons of Veronica Mars at TheWB.com.
