Sometimes its easy to forget just how ubiquitous producer Brian Grazer is. Not only does he work hand in hand with Oscar-winning director Ron Howard on some of the biggest movies out there, he also shepherded a ton of well-known television shows. After some years off the air, two of his more famous shows, Arrested Development and 24, will soon be returning in new ways. Now a third might do the same.
In a new interview, Grazer confirmed he’s “absolutely moving forward” with the movie version of the NBC drama Friday Night Lights, and they might turn to crowd-funding, ala Veronica Mars, to prove the fans want the series to return. Read More »
.
Please Recommend /Film on Facebook
Update: Variety has a new report on this financing deal which changes the equation. In short, it says the funds from Worldview are gap financing, which is not at all what was reported earlier. To sum up, the production is doing foreign rights sales in Cannes, which we knew, and which Braff had disclosed weeks ago. Traditional loans against those sales may not come in fast enough to get the production going on schedule. So Worldview is, in essence, loaning that money to the production now so that it can move forward.
Producer Stacy Sher says “Worldview may end up providing nothing at the end of the day beyond the gap loan depending on how we do in Cannes.”
If Variety is accurate, then any assumptions made about “full financing” from Worldview could be quite wrong, as would be conclusions (such as mine) drawn from previous reports. (Zach Braff later updated his Kickstarter page with the same information, which we’ll take as accurate.) Our original article follows, and we’ll update as calls are returned or other info comes in.
Read More »
Whether you’ve seen it on the streets of your city or on someone’s hat as they walk down the street, a familiar slogan is found all over the place: “Obey.” The simple command with the layered connotation is the handiwork of artist Shepard Fairey. Influenced by the film They Live and using the visage of Andre the Giant, Fairey began plastering the familiar logo all over the globe in the ’90s, leading viewers to consider its implications. The brand has since given Fairey worldwide acclaim and infamy. He had a huge part in the Oscar-nominated documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, owns his own clothing line, and much more.
Director Julian Marshall thought Fairey’s rise to fame and the birth of this iconic idea would make a great idea for a film. He took to Kickstarter to fund Obey The Giant, a narrative retelling of the story, and that short has now been completed and is online. Check it out below. Read More »
Posted on Tuesday, March 26th, 2013 by Angie Han
Ever since Veronica Mars paved the way for crowd-funded TV to movie revivals, it seems like every actor, writer, or director ever associated with a beloved but cancelled series has been fielding questions about Kickstarter. Some have squashed the idea right off the bat, but others have been a bit more open to the concept. (And The Onion has poked fun at all of it.)
According to actress Adrianne Palicki, Friday Night Lights could very well turn to Kickstarter to pay for the long-rumored movie sequel. Meanwhile, Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller is definitely intrigued by crowdfunding — but acknowledges that his show would require quite a bit more than the $2 million goal originally set by Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell. Hit the jump to keep reading.
Read More »
Posted on Friday, March 22nd, 2013 by Angie Han
It’s been a long, strange ride for Arrested Development fans. The show suffered from painfully low ratings the whole time it was actually airing on Fox, but since its cancellation in 2006 has become popular enough to inspire Netflix to bring the series back from the dead. Now we’re just a couple of months away from the fourth season, which is pretty crazy if you think about it.
Documenting that journey have been Neil Lieberman and Jeff Smith, two self-described superfans keen on raising “awareness of this brilliant, witty and original comedy that is like nothing else.” To that end, the pair spent five years criss-crossing the country to talk to the cast, crew, and fans of the series.
The film is now finished, but needs a bit more funding before it can get distribution. (So much for there always being money in the banana stand.) Hit the jump to hear Lieberman and Smith’s Kickstarter plea.
Read More »
What’s the one thing a ruthless dictator needs if he wants to take over the world? Money, and a lot of it. In today’s modern, connected society, what better way to raise money than from like-minded people on Kickstarter?
On a hilarious new Kickstarter page, Cobra Commander — the leader of the evil terrorist organization Cobra — asks the public to help him raise $21 million needed to rebuild the organization after defeat at the hands of those real American heroes in G.I. Joe.
The page comes at a perfect time, with Jon M. Chu’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation rolling out on March 29. I have a feeling this is decidedly more tongue in cheek than the film. Check out the video below. Read More »
In less than twelve hours, Warner Bros., Rob Thomas, Kristen Bell, and their Veronica Mars movie changed the movie business. Yesterday morning, Thomas and his cast asked fans to donate two million dollars to revive the canceled television series Veronica Mars as a feature film. Fans have hoped for such a movie for several years. Thomas and Bell had previously been unsuccessful in attempts to persuade Warner Bros. to fund the movie. They even talked about paying for it themselves.
It took about eleven hours for donors to pledge two million dollars. Now, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution has greenlit the film, and will pay for the marketing and distribution. Whether the studio will also contribute funds to the production cost remains to be seen. (Update: The Wrap says no; the outpouring of fan and media interest is likely to drive the budget funds higher without any extra capital required from the studio.)
So what did Veronica Mars fans say this week? Individual donors who gave just a little bit get to see a movie they might have thought wouldn’t ever materialize. Seems like a good deal.
Collectively, the fanbase sent a thundering message to studios. It said, loud and clear, that it will give up large sums of money, with no traditional investment ties, to fund a geek-oriented project. There will very likely be further developments in what could be known as the Mars model, with other producers and studios attempting to find similar fundraising success. As the Veronica Mars counter ticked quickly up to $2m, we watched the business change in real time. Read More »
Posted on Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 by Angie Han
Update from Editor Peter Sciretta: In less than 12 hours from launching the kickstarter, Rob Thomas has raised over $2,000,000 for the Veronica Mars movie, hitting the goal of the project. Of course, they have 30 days left to go, and will still need the fans to help raise more money to allow them to do more in the story. $2 million might sound like a lot to many of you, but consider they lose an estimated $400,000 to Kickstarter fees and taxes. They will likely have to pay 20% in fees and taxes of any future raised funds too. And they also need to pay for the various rewards to those who have and will fund this project, which includes shipping posters, t-shirts, dvds and box sets. The film will likely have to be a union production, and while its expected the actors will be working close to scale (and participate in the back end) it still will be very costly at the absolute minimum level. Basically I’m saying, just because they’ve hit the goal doesn’t mean you shouldn’t “donate.” Do you want to see a good movie? Haven’t donated yet? You still have 30 days… The original story from Angie Han can be read after the jump.
Read More »
