'Veronica Mars' Movie Greenlit After Record-Breaking Kickstarter Campaign

Fans of the short-lived “Veronica Mars” television series are so passionate about getting a movie version made that they’ve decided to pay for it.

A crowd-sourcing campaign has already yielded more than $2 million in fan donations, good enough for a record-breaking performance on Kickstarter and a greenlit film. More than 40,000 fans have chipped in so far.

According to Wired.com, series creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell launched the Kickstarter campaign under an agreement with executives at Warner Bros. Studios. The studio said if Thomas and Bell could raise $2 million within 30 days, it would agree to greenlight a movie version. “Veronica Mars” fans managed to pull it off in just over 11 hours.

“Veronica Mars,” which starred Bell as a would-be detective, aired for three seasons on UPN and the CW. Despite its cancellation in 2007, the series was well-received by critics and has since garnered a cult following among die-hard fans.

In an online message to "Veronica Mars" fans, Bell could barely contain her excitement. “I am currently the happiest blonde in a hamster ball the world has ever seen,” she wrote. "We have been waiting so long to make this movie dream a movie reality, and it’s because of YOUR commitment, YOUR persistence, that we finally have a chance.”

Thomas was equally ecstatic about the record-breaking campaign. “My mind is blown. I’ve been fantasizing about this and had to tell myself, ‘Stop it, Rob, you’re being silly. You’re setting yourself up for disappointment,’” he told Entertainment Weekly. “And now today has exceeded the wildest pipe dream I let myself entertain. Holy cow. We better make a good movie. These amazing fans have stepped up. We better deliver.”

According to Entertainment Weekly, the “Veronica Mars” film will center on “murder, mystery and a high-school reunion.” The film will be shot this summer and is scheduled to be released in 2014.