By now, most of us have read about the success of Veronica Mars Movie Kickstarter project. Their asking price for the movie budget was two million, but they have hit well over that within record setting days. It’s been a long time coming since we’ve heard what little information that trickled down from Warner Brothers about a possible Veronica Mars related project, and we’re finally here. This also sets precedence for what is possible within the ever-changing landscape of TV/movie production, seeing as how viable approaching the fans for support has become. We’ve also talked about how Netflix was changing how we were watching TV not too long ago (with the advent of House of Cards and Arrested Development season 3), and the internet continues to open up limitless possibilities for dead projects and creators butting heads with skeptical execs.
So let’s go over some of the interesting tidbits about this project:
1) When will this movie take place?
I feel like Veronica Mars is at its strongest in a school setting and did not care for that “Veronica as FBI agent” pitch teaser that they put out some time ago. But I also feel they’ve outgrown the school setting, so there’s really only one place to go for me personally: Veronica officially joins her father as another private eye and works out of the office. This way, the creators will still be in touch with the original series and it’ll bring out a sense of nostalgia in all of us. I do understand that Veronica has limitless ambition and her working out of a tiny office feels beneath her (why did she even bother going to college if she wanted this?), but if she joined a government sector and had a ton of resources to work with, it just wouldn’t be the same. Veronica is really in her element when she is greasing some palms and breaking into offices for information. Imagine her delegating these tasks to other agents underneath her or something. That is NOT the way to approach this movie.
Also, high school reunion? That would be the best possible way to bring together all the cast members (and then someone dies at school and we’re back to business).
2) Who is coming back?
From the promotional fan service trailer they put out, it’s obvious that Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring (Logan), Enrico Colantoni (Keith Mars), and Ryan Hansen (Dick Casablancas) are returning, but what about Wallace or Weevil? They could be lying in wait at the sidelines to see how things are turning up, but I feel it wouldn’t complete the experience if these two were excluded.
3) What is WB’s part in all of this?
According to The Wrap, Warner Brothers will be covering the distribution costs…and that’s it. I guess every bit helps, but I feel they should at least match the amount of money donated by the fans to bring together a quality product as a big thank you to the long time fans they’ve ignored for so long. Two million isn’t much to put together a movie and some of that will go towards providing the fans with the incentive prizes they were promised (posters, tickets, blu-ray/DVD combos, etc.). It also feels like WB put all their eggs in the Man of Steel basket so they can’t even think about promoting their other properties. This is a potentially historical project (a completely fan-funded movie of a cancelled show) so I feel they should focus their attention a bit more here.
4) What does this mean for Firefly?
Joss Whedon asks, “What about it?” In an interview with Buzzfeed, Joss (we’re amigos) said that he’s booked for the next three years with Marvel and Nathan Fillion is currently busy with Castle. He said if they’re not busy in a few years, they’ll look at the market and see if another Firefly project is possible, but until then, there are no plans. SO STOP ASKING. Plus, a Firefly project would require at least ten times the asking price of this Veronica Mars movie, so Kickstarter may not be the most viable option for them. (Besides, Joss Whedon is just starting to become THE go-to-guy in the industry so wait a few years. He may be able to self-fund the entire thing himself when the time is right. Don’t quote me on that.)
I’m really happy that this movie is finally happening, but I’m more interested in finding out what this means for the future. (Young Justice season 3?)
Click below to donate to the Veronica Mars project.
[Kickstarter Page for Veronica Mars Movie]
Written by Daniel Lee
@zombee_f
@2cool4blog
