Our Top Story Tonight: A "Veronica Mars" Movie is Funded, Changing the Film Industry Forever

To those that have not watched "Veronica Mars" may I ask: What are you waiting for? Ask any "marshmallow" and they'll agree: "Veronica Mars" is one ofthe smartest, wittiest and most flat out entertaining series of the past decade. It surpasses the typical "teen drama" format, blending comedy, romance and mystery into the mix. For three seasons, fans tuned in religiously to watch junior PI Veronica Mars, the once popular daughter of a disgraced sheriff, solve crimes in her corrupt town of Neptune and it's high school. One week could find her investigating a rigged school election, and the next could find her trying to figure out who murdered her best friend. But, every week, fans could expect to be throughly entertained. That is until the show was moved from the UPN to the CW, where network executives pressured creator Rob Thomas to change the format, only to eventually cancel the series, leaving almost every plot-line unresolved. I used to be hesitant about recommending "Veronica Mars" to others as, while I truly loved the series, I was afraid that those I got to watch it would be angered by the cliffhanger. But now I don't have to. 

This morning Rob Thomas & Kristen Bell set up a Kickstarter account announcing that if fans could contribute $2 million by April 12 then Warner Bros. would produce a film version of "Veronica Mars." They even posted a hilarious video to persuade fans to support the project, featuring Enrico Colantoni (who played her father, Private Investigator Keith Mars), Jason Dohring (who played her enemy turned boyfriend, Logan Echolls) and Ryan Hansen (who played dumb rich kid, Dick Casablancas). And fans weren't just getting a movie with their contribution- prizes including everything from a t-shirt to a walk on role in the film were handed out, and will continue to be handed out, to those that donate. But it turns out they didn't need 30 days to secure the funds- they needed about 10 hours. Yes, "Veronica Mars" fans a movie will finally happen, with filming set to begin this summer and a release date likely in early 2014. I couldn't be happier. But I'm also thrilled at what this means for the film industry. 

Obviously it's too early to really see what ramifications of financing this movie would mean for the film industry, but it's ripe with possibilities. Granted, "Veronica Mars" wasn't exactly the most successful TV series, but it amassed a pretty rabid fan base over the course of it's three year run. A movie was rumored almost immediately following the cancellation of the series. But Kristen Bell, along with many other former cast members, made it clear to fans that a feature film was highly unlikely. Yet, here we are. If you had gotten a hold of me early this morning, before I checked my Twitter account, and told me that there was going to be a "Veronica Mars" movie I wouldn't have believed you. I still can't believe it. But it's really going to happen. And that got me thinking, how many other great properties are there that could gain funding now, via Kickstarter? There are plenty of beloved cult TV series- "Freaks & Geeks", "Party Down" and "Terriers" are the first to come to mind- that I'm sure could be funded by fans if given the option. What about series like "24" or "Entourage", where the possibility of a film adaptation has been discussed for a while but never actually confirmed? I've even heard rumors of setting up an account for a sequel to "Serenity." Is this the future of indie filmmaking? If so, I couldn't be more excited.

When it comes to other news stories (in the entertainment industry, that is...) there really isn't much to talk about. A trailer for Kick-Ass 2 arrived today and while I enjoyed the first film (I gave it a B) I can't say I'm excited for this sequel. The trailer looks as if it's trying too hard to be edgy and, thus, loses what made it funny int the first place. It could be good, and I won't deny that I like what I see from Jim Carrey in this trailer, but I have a suspicion that this won't be too great of a film.