In a development that may have huge ramifications for countless TV shows that were canceled before their time, the creator of the short-lived but beloved series ‘Veronica Mars’ is currently raising funds to bring his spunky young detective back for one more adventure in movie form – and he needs our help to do it.

During its too-brief three seasons on the UPN (later CW) network, ‘Veronica Mars’ followed the exploits of a smart-aleck teenager (Kristen Bell) who, rather than join intramural sports or the debate team, investigated cases for her father’s private investigation business between classes and after school. While never a huge ratings hit, the series was smart and funny, and developed a passionate fan base that was left heartbroken when the show was canceled after ending on an unresolved cliffhanger.

Unsatisfied and unwilling to let go, series creator Rob Thomas (no, not the Matchbox Twenty singer – a different Rob Thomas) approached studio heads at Warner Bros. with a pitch for a ‘Veronica Mars’ movie. Unfortunately, they weren’t convinced that enough fan interest still existed to justify the amount of money it would take to produce and distribute a feature film. However, Thomas convinced them to let him try to raise the funds on his own via Kickstarter.

With an initial goal set for $2 million, the campaign has already raised close to double that amount. Thomas explains:

Keep in mind that the more money we raise, the cooler movie we can make. A two million dollar fundraising total probably means cross words are exchanged at the class reunion. Three million? We can afford a full-on brawl. Ten million? Who knows… For some reason the Neptune High class reunion takes place on a nuclear submarine! A Hobbit shows up! There’s a Bollywood end-credit dance number! I’ve always wanted to direct Bill Murray. We’ll figure out something cool. Hey, if that total goes high enough, I’ll bet the good folks at Warner Bros. will agree a sequel is a good idea.

Of course, a ‘Veronica Mars’ movie would be nothing without the participation of the original Veronica herself. Fortunately, Kristen Bell is fully on-board and enthusiastic about the project:

I promise if we hit our goal, we will make the sleuthiest, snarkiest, it’s-all-fun-and-games-’til-one-of-you-gets-my-foot-up-your-ass movie we possibly can.
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.

Donations to the campaign will qualify for various rewards at specified dollar levels, including a PDF of the movie script, autographed posters, Blu-ray/DVD Combo packs of the eventual movie (when available) and more. Sadly, the top-level prize for a donation of $10,000 (not that I could afford that) – a walk-on speaking role in the movie – has been claimed.

Visit the Kickstarter page for more details.

At this point, it looks like a certainty that the movie will get made. If it’s successful, this could be the beginning of an exciting trend in allowing fans to directly support the creation of content they love.