Fan Rant: 'Veronica Mars' -- The Movie?!?!
Filed under: RumorMonger
Veronica Mars is always struggling with something. She tried to find the evil jerk who killed her best friend, Lily Kane. She struggled through nightmares to figure out who was responsible for the bus crash. And then she went to college, where she made lots more enemies as she solved a whole slew of mysteries. She also struggled to stay on the air.
Unlike Spaced, which certainly got more buzz from the notable celebs who loved it, it didn't even seem to help much that big-wigs like Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon adored Veronica. Both even had cameos on the show -- as a convenience store clerk and a fastidious car rental worker, respectively.
It's the usual tale of good television: Veronica Mars came, she kicked butt, and then she struggled to stay afloat. She barely got to go to college, and Rob Thomas struggled to keep her on the air by switching things up. Instead of one year-long mystery with some little ones along the way, Veronica got two big mysteries plus more smaller ones. That didn't help, so he tried to revamp the show into the world of the FBI. That failed, and Veronica seemed to be truly done for. Star Kristen Bell moved onto movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and jolting people on Heroes. Marshall moved onto other television work.
But now there is talk of a movie -- and it isn't from some gossip rag that has no real link to the truth, but rather, from Entertainment Weekly. They report that while Michael Phelps was picking up his latest gold medal, Bell and Thomas were meeting to discuss bringing Veronica to the big screen. Thomas says: "It's very tough to focus on it right now with two pilots on my plate. But as soon as I have any free time, that's my top priority."
He's even discussed this puppy with Veronica's executive producer, Joel Silver, so I'm hoping his "top priority" statement means that Joel wasn't completely against the idea. But how on earth would Thomas bring Veronica to the big screen, and how would fans want to see her?
Would she go back to college and have a big mystery in her final year? Or, would this be the chance to really explore her introduction to the FBI? If it's the latter, would fans flock to it?
I would probably see it out of curiosity, but maybe on DVD -- unless Thomas found a way to bring back her awesome array of friends. What is the Mars world without Pappa Keith struggling between PI work and Sheriff positions, Logan Echolls and his undying love for Veronica, Wallace and Mac's helpful sidekicking, Eli's quest for a more lawful life, Dick's immaturity, and Vinnie Van Lowe's meddling?
Bring them all back, and I'm there. Bring only Veronica back, and, well, some of that magic just won't be there.
But what do you think?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-20-2008 @ 9:14PM
YouFaceTheTick said...
One of the best shows ever on television. Mars ran its course in Seasons 1 and 2. Let it go. The show jumped the shark with the college year and honestly a 2 hour mystery isn't 1/10th as long as a Mars mystery should be. A movie would be insultingly simple and bland...just like Season 3.
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8-20-2008 @ 10:05PM
Ray said...
Actually, Joss' cameo was as a motel clerk in S2.
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8-20-2008 @ 10:11PM
Monika said...
Ray,
No, he was a car clerk who received an Employee of the Month award, remember? Veronica waited for him to leave to get the other person to help her.
http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|97564|1|,00.html
8-21-2008 @ 12:06AM
Ray said...
D'oh. Somehow I got him confused with the clerk at the motel where she Koontz' daughter.
8-20-2008 @ 10:27PM
Paul said...
They'll have to figure out some reasons to put her in a bikini. (oh yea, I went there)
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8-20-2008 @ 10:35PM
tozmervo said...
I'm fairly certain a bike crash would not have had quite the same impact as a bus crash.
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8-20-2008 @ 11:28PM
Travis Tidmore said...
I love Veronica Mars, even the third season (When will be people stop talking about shows Jumping the Shark, I loathe that phrase!!!!) and I'd be there in an instant. I hope it all comes together soon.
And Personally I want to see what became of everyone after the end of season 3.
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8-21-2008 @ 12:05AM
Greg said...
What about Piz!?!?!
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8-21-2008 @ 1:26AM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Piz on screen = all viewers estrogen levels increased. The guy was a man-gina.
8-21-2008 @ 1:46AM
joits said...
i would like to see a veronica mars movie, but a movie that is made for tv or direct to dvd. it didn't have enough of an audience to warrant a big screen release, it would fail at the box office.
my only problem with these made for tv movies is that they don't really end the series in a proper way. if it does happen, it will probably be the final "new" material for this show and i don't think they will take advantage of that by really giving the show and the characters a proper send off.
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8-21-2008 @ 9:19PM
Simon Wakefield said...
You say it wouldn't have enough of an audience to make its money back but does it really require a massive budget?
Look at VM fan Kevin Smith. His movies take less than $30mill at the box office but he is hugely successful as a film maker as every movie makes back its money and turns a profit.
if they were careful with their budget and didnt go a bit OTT (As I feel Universal did with Joss Whedon and Serenity, $40 was still a small budget but was significantly more than it would cost to make the Firefly pilot. You have to feel they could have done it on a tighter budget) then it wouldn't take too much to recoup a budget.
And not to forget that we are in an era now where pretty much every movie eventually makes its money back. Even the train wreck that was Waterworld which was always said to be a movie that would never make its money back did so and Video/DVD sales now are significantly stronger so even if you just cover the costs of a theatrical release the DVD's and TV sales would the make a profit
8-21-2008 @ 6:17AM
Peter Hall said...
VMars was an outstanding show crippled by studio micromanaging in its third season. Wouldn't say the show 'jumped the shark' purely because of how well the show's creator communicated that what was going on behind the scenes was against intentions. The CW jumped, not Thomas.
I'd love a movie if only because I'd love to see Veronica Mars in new content. Agreed, however, it shouldn't be theatrical. Save it just for us fans. We'll see it no matter the medium.
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8-21-2008 @ 7:44AM
Ashley Jones said...
Who is this Marshall who is working on tv :p (unless you are talking about the character Sarah Marshall for whatever random reason).
Anyway I would like to see the film, but I would like to see the characters I know and love, not a load of feds. Maybe a mix between past and old (like a FBI investigation which has been going on for years and Veronica was somehow involved with in the past).
Although I'd go and watch whatever they did.
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8-22-2008 @ 3:02AM
AJ Wiley said...
Veronica Mars was an amazing show which was crippled in its third season by the CW's demands to make it more accessible, as well as Rob Thomas' depressing willingness to do everything they told him. Yeah, you want your show to stay on the air, but Joss Whedon purposely went against network demands time and again on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that didn't get canceled. (Yeah, I know Angel and Firefly did, but that works against my argument!)
I was absolutely against the FBI change-up in season four, and the presentation that made its way on to YouTube seemed to have excised the entire supporting cast and changed the whole tone of the show. However, I can see it working as a movie. Veronica becomes an FBI agent, loses contact with Keith and her friends, and then a year or two into her gig struggles to re-connect with them while solving some huge mystery.
Though I have to admit, even if the plot were to be as ridiculous as some of those in season three, they've already got my ass in a seat.
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10-17-2008 @ 5:07PM
bleeker of mmp productions said...
The third season of VM was incomplete. And the movie would take off if the original cast was asembled. Otherwise they have to move her some how, but the fans deserve to get an ending to season three, they should wrap it up as her father looses the election and she has to move to washington, and do her stint at the FBI for the summer. Taking cases behind the supervisors backs that of coarse corelate to the larger fbi case.. of coarse. It would be a great series to get back.. even if it was on a case by case/ movie by movie bassis. Talking with Kristen, she definatly loved havingher own show, but as she is hot right now, she most likely will stick with films that pay. It is all about the $$ in the end
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