Ever since Rob Thomas, Kristen Bell and their “Veronica Mars” movie kickstarter made $2 million in 11 hours (with a total of $3.9 million and 16 days to go now), film fans and filmmakers alike have been in a frenzied state trying to figure out what this means for the current business model. But it seems that no one is more susceptible to the excitement than other TV series creators, some of whom may want to imitate the “Veronica Mars” model exactly.
Regarding a possible “Friday Night Lights” movie adaptation, actress Adrianne Palicki recently told Screen Rant, “I think they’re starting the Kickstarter, which is insane,” adding that, “I have multiple feelings on it. I love it so much and I’m afraid that a movie might ruin it and I don’t want that to happen. We went out on top. At the same time, to get to be on that show again, I would die for it. I would love to do it. I’m right there in the middle.”
This follows years of ‘FNL’ creator Peter Berg touting a movie version of the drama series. He has already revealed a plot inspired by the real life trials of college coach Mike Leach who was wrongfully accused of abusing a player. Connie Britton has also said that she would be on board. Despite all the enthusiasm, there’s never been anything officially set up or any real sign of interest from studio Universal. All the more reason that turning to Kickstarter might make sense, especially if other people are willing to front the cash to make it happen.
On a completely different project, “Pushing Daisies” creator Bryan Fuller has said that he would consider the Kickstarter model to raise funds for a film version of his series, though the need for a larger budget gives him pause. “With ‘Pushing Daisies,’ we had to build a world. We have to build the pie hole, visual effects, have zombie makeup, and there’s a lot more production elements involved. We made the one-hour pilot for $6 million. Every [other] episode was about $3m to make for the series. To do a movie, I believe we would need between $10-15 million to do it, and that’s harder to ask for than what ‘Veronica Mars’ is asking for,” he told Film School Rejects.
But at this point, it may be too early in the game for Fuller, who acknowledges he needs to exhaust the traditional channels firset. “I mean, with ‘Veronica Mars’ they laid out their plan, had all their ducks in a row, and knew what they were doing by the time they hit Kickstarter,” he said. “I have a lot of catchup to do to see what is possible for ‘Pushing Daisies,’ what the studio involvement would be, and what the studio’s appetite would be. I have a lot to learn from Rob Thomas on how they pulled it off, and to see if I can do the same with ‘Pushing Daisies.’ “
But the question remains, will Kickstarter actually be able to sustain interest in multiple large-scale studio projects? Or will the novelty of donating to a favorite TV show wear off post “Veronica Mars”? We tend to think that Kickstarter will not, and the novelty will — but there’s certainly a paradigm shift happening, so we’re not scoffing at this interest.
