First Veronica Mars . Then Chuck . Now, Friday Night Lights is reportedly pursuing a Kickstarter campaign to fund a movie to pick up where the series left off. There will soon be a day when Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell can say “they launched a Kickstarter comeback when it was cool.”
The history of Friday Night Lights is thus: First it was a 1990 non-fiction book by H.G. Bissinger. Then, the book was adapted into a 2004 film directed by Peter Berg, and starring Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Britton. Then, it was a successful NBC show that ran for five seasons starring Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton again.
The TV show had less to do with the book and movie, and despite wrapping up its 76-episode run in 2011, people still want more Friday Night Lights .
Adrianne Palicki, who played Tyra Collette on the show, recently said that fans’ wishes may come true, thanks in no small part to Veronica Mars .
While doing press for G.I. Joe: Retaliation (in which she plays Lady Jaye), Palicki revealed that a return to Dillon, Texas was being considered by Friday Night Lights showrunners.
After seeing the success Rob Thomas had raising a whopping $2 million through Kickstarter for a Veronica Mars film in just 12 hours (way more now), FNL creators are wondering if their fans will show up for a similar campaign .
“I think they’re starting the Kickstarter, which is insane. It’s crazy. I have multiple feelings on it. I love it so much and I’m afraid that a movie might ruin it and I don’t want that to happen. We went out on top. At the same time, to get to be on that show again, I would die for it. I would love to do it. I’m right there in the middle.”
But is this the wave of the future? Will every single Veronica Mars and Friday Night Lights turn to Kickstarter for a film follow-up? Mars creator Thomas seems to think so , but isn’t sure how well the formula will work without a built-in following.
“I don’t know that I would bet that a Kickstarter model starts to work across the board and that everyone who wants to make a $3, 4, 5 million movie can expect to go to Kickstarter and get financed,” he said. “When there is a brand name product that people have responded to and want to see and there’s already a built in following for it, people can be very successful. I hope that in that respect we are pioneers and we see more of them.”
Would you like to see more Friday Night Lights , or do you think they should leave it where it ended?