Wednesday, March 20, 2013

10 Things I Hope Make it into the Veronica Mars Movie




Last Wednesday, I was scrolling through Google Reader when I came upon a Veronica Mars article referencing Kickstarter. I was a little annoyed with what I thought at the time was another way to get a Veronica Mars movie that would never come to fruition like the ten or so other rumors over the year. But being the sadomasochistic, I still click the link where the article linked to an actual Kickstarter page started by creator Rob Thomas complete with a video featuring Kristen Bell, Dick Casablancas, Logan Echolls, and Keith Mars. The Kickstarter quickly got to a million dollars, and reached its two million goal in less than a day. Which means the movie will be made and by my best estimation will end up with around five million dollars.

Now I am not one of those people who demand silly plot points like Ronnie and Logan end up together. I would be content if the movie would end up being Ronnie working cases for the FBI like the proposed fourth season. From interviews it does sound like Rob hopes to get the band back together and setting the movie in a Neptune ten year reunion (even Parker and Piz made his outline). Currently only Bell has officially signed on for the movie (well Kristen and the guy who paid $10,000 to say one line) but considering they are listed in the rewards, it is a safe bet Keith, Logan, Wallace, Weevil, Mac, and Dick will all be part. Here are ten things I also hope make it into the Veronica Mars Movie.

1. Vinnie Van Lowe – Number one with a bullet. Not having Vinnie Van Lowe (who very well be Sherriff Vincent Van Lowe by now) make at least a cameo would be like leaving a concert of your favorite band and they did not play your favorite song. Considering Ken Marino also starred in Thomas’s Party Down and Kristen Bell starred in Marino’s hilarious Burning Love webseries, I am sure Vinnie will make an appearance.

2. Shelly Pomroy – When I visited the set of Veronica Mars, one of the first questions I had to ask Rob Thomas was will we ever get to meet Shelly Pomroy (see The Mystery that Is Shelly Pomroy). Her name had been dropped since the first episode as it was her party where Ronnie was roofied but we only got fleeting glimpses of Shelly by three different actresses. Let’s face it, a Neptune High reunion will not be complete without Shelly Pomroy. And since there have already been three Shelly, why not bring in a fourth this time in the form of Lizzy Caplan, who starred in Thomas’s Party Down. And if she is unavailable starring in the upcoming Masters of Sex, may I suggest Allison Brie.

3. Deputy Leo – Most of the fangirls hope that Ronnie will end up with bad boy Logan, not me. If I had to pick one of her suitors, it would definitely be the good cop, Deputy Leo. Hopefully by now Detective Leo can help Ronnie solve whatever case she will be tasked with in the movie.

4. Madison Sinclair - Long before the ABC Family show aired, Mac and Madison were switched at birth (fun fact, both Switched at Birth co stars Katie LeClerc and Lucas Grabaal guested on Veronica Mars early in their careers). Ronnie would usually find herself butting heads with the boys of Neptune High, Madison provided one of the few female antagonists tangled with and was a worthy adversary. Plus what reunion would be complete without Dick running into his ex? Thankfully this looks to be likely because Rob has stated in multiple episodes he hopes to bring her back. And for those that did not bother to click on the Shelly Pomroy link above, Shelly Pomroy is a real person that Rob went to high school with and the actress who played Madison is her niece.

5. An “I (Heart) Dick” T-Shirt – One of the stories Rob Thomas regaled us while on the set of Veronica Mars was when Standards and Practices forbid them from letting a character wear an “I (Heart) Dick” t-shirt. Sure someone could actually say, “I love Dick” on screen but they could not wear it on their person. Instead, they were forced to give an actress an “I (Heart) Dick Casablancas” t-shirt. Ironically in the episode I Am God, the camera actually cut off the “Casablancas”. Now without the confines of Standards and Practices, I hope they do not go overboard and have Dick turn into Al Swearengen saying (expletive deleted)sucker ever third word and gratuitous nudity. Well maybe some gratuitous nudity. And since a Veronica Mars t-shirt is part of the rewards by donating to Kickstarter, how about an official “I (Heart) Dick” t-shirt? Either that or a “Veronica Mars Is Smarter than Me” t-shirt.


6. Jessica Chastain – You may ask yourself why the chick who took down bin Laden is on this list, but Chastain does have a Veronica Mars connection in that it was her second acting job ever playing Ronnie’s pregnant neighbor who went missing. Hopefully Rob kept her in his rolodex.

7. Kristen Bell Singing - Ronnie sang karaoke early in season one but do not get to hear her sing again until she serenades someone with Bad Day after making him have a bad day. Certainly they can work a song (or two) into the movie. Maybe the gang can meet up at Java the Hut for a little karaoke.

8. Ten Year Old Lilly Kane - Last time we saw Lilly Kane (not to be confused with her dead aunt), she was a baby on a beach with her dad in Australia. I am not sure what the statue of limitations on kidnapping is, but it would be nice to see the Kane family represented in the movie someway. Also some tribute to her namesake, like the memorial that Neptune High put up at right, would also be nice.

9. Hannah Griffith – Much like Deputy Leo, I am in the minority (or at least part of the silent majority) when it comes to Hannah who everyone else hated (at least on the internet) because she came between Logan and Veronica. It may be tough to write her in because she did not graduate from Neptune (she was shipped off to boarding school because her father disapproved of her dating Logan) and was not even in the class of ’06 to begin with.

10. The Movie Is Successful Enough for a Bryan Fuller Kickstarter – Moments after the Veronica Mars Kickstarter went live, the internet was abuzz with other possible resurrected prematurely canceled series. I am not saying I would not watch a movie version of Terriers, Chuck, Deadwood, Rome, Friday Night Lights, The Cape (six movies and a season), a preemptive Community campaign, anything associated with Joss Whedon, or the other bandied around by creators or fans, but really all I want is for Bryan Fuller to get a Kickstarter campaign or two going. And it may happen as Thomas stated in an interview that Fuller has already contacted him and like Veronica Mars, Pushing Daisies is owned by Warner Bros. But Veronica Mars definitely has to be successful to open up the floodgates (notice the lack of cult television shows made into movies after Serenity bombed at the box office). But what will Warner Bros., or other studios (20th Century Fox owns Fuller’s other cult show Wonderfalls) consider successful: five, ten, twenty-five million gross after everything is said and done? Warner Bros. is in the business of making money and though they do not have to worry too much with the upfront costs thanks to Kickstarter, if they do not make money off the project, we may have to go back to hoping Netflix, DirecTV, or other companies of their ilk resurrect our favorite canceled too soon shows. Hopefully it is successfully enough for Bryan Fuller to do more Pushing Daisies (which he guestimates would need to raise ten million dollars) and / or Wonderfalls.


I really have only one thing I hope does not make it into the Veronica Mars movie: Paris Hilton. And can we get a Kickstarter going to save Google Reader please?

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