The show's creator, Rob Thomas (pictured above with Bell), is raising funds on Kickstarter to try to finance a Veronica Mars movie. For those with a hazy memory, the CW Television Network show (originally on UPN) was about high schooler Veronica Mars who became an apprentice detective and tried to uncover secrets in her town. The show ran from 2004 to 2007.
While never a ratings hit, Veronica Mars had a huge cult following that culminated in several "save our show" fan campaigns to keep the program on the air. It seems particularly fitting that the much-requested (and long-rumored) Veronica Mars movie could come directly from fan backers.
"I've always wanted to make a Veronica Mars movie," Thomas wrote on the Kickstarter page. "I love writing these characters and working with these actors. Kristen Bell has always wanted to make the movie."
Within hours of launching the Kickstarter campaign Wednesday, a steady stream of fans already pledged more than $700,000 of the project's $2 million goal, as of early Wednesday afternoon. The campaign still has 30 days left.
Bell also chimed in on the campaign page in an appeal to backers: "I promise to give it my all. I promise to work my hardest to give everyone a little bit more Veronica, and I will be oh so honored to do so."
If the movie is financed on Kickstarter, pre-production could begin immediately, with shooting expected to begin this summer. The movie is targeted to come out in early 2014.
Fans already counting the days until a potential movie release can relive episodes of the detective drama on Netflix or on TheWB.com.
Thomas and Bell reacted to Wednesday's funding flurry on Twitter:
all this excitement is prolly gonna send me into early labor. #iamsoexcited #veronicamarsmovie kickstarter.com/projects/55991…
— Kristen Bell(@IMKristenBell) March 13, 2013
Really overwhelmed here.
— Rob Thomas (@RobThomas) March 13, 2013