Veronica Mars - Can a franchise successfully transition from TV to film? (Part 1)

Many of you in-the-know fellow film-freaks out there might have heard on that delicious movie grape-vine that a much anticipated film version of the TV show Veronica Mars, which was cruelly cancelled after its third season back in 2007, has been green-lit for a movie after a Kickstarter campaign started by its director, creator and writer Rob Thomas. This caused quite a stir not just amongst the very loyal fan base of the cult-TV favourite but in the film world in general, because it got A LOT of people’s tongues wagging about how this could revolutionise how films are created and distributed. Being a fan-raised production means that the people making our beloved Veronica Mars Movie have more creative control over the content they are distributing and can therefore suck it to those big-bad-movie-bosses in the tall buildings who always want to tweak and “improve” and get there way, even if it compromises the work tirelessly created by those arty types behind the camera. Yep, Rob Thomas and the lovely people who encouraged this film such as its charming and supportive star Kristen Bell, have started somewhat of a film-revolution and people are already keen to jump onto this burgeoning bandwagon (Zach Braff of Scrubs fame has recently raised funds for a feature film of his own, using Kickstarter as his campaign tool). But Kickstarter isn’t a subject I’m here to discuss, though it might be interesting to look at it further down the film-blogging line. Nope, what I’m interested in is whether our feisty and beloved Veronica can make that transition from TV to movie screen without disappointing the fans who made this whole venture possible. Of course Veronica Mars is kind of breaking new territory so it might be wise to look at the success of other franchises as a reference point. Without further ado then…

As a 90s kid I'm a self-confessed fan of both the Buffy's, but if it came to a throw-down and I had to put my money on one these Buffy incarnations then it would undoubtedly be Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy. She kicks some serious ass all while keeping an out for her loveable band of geeks. Which Buffy would you put your money on?!

I’m going to start with a 90s fan favourite for many: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’m not sure whether the film-version of Buffy is just a well-kept secret or whether I was the only person who actually enjoyed it but here I offer you a prime example of a franchise that succeeded very well in making that transition, though in this case the transition was from big screen to small. An important distinction between the movie version of Buffy and its TV version counterpart is the general tone of each, with the movie having a more comedic and slightly-ridiculous air while the long-running TV show had more action, mystery and general teenage-angst. As it is I've heard this was a deliberate move on writer and creator Joss Whedon’s part as he was apparently angered with how Buffy was handled on the big-screen. Evidently the regular hair-flipping and “Like, Oh. My God”-ing wasn't in Whedon’s taste. Not that I can blame him, because while I did enjoy the film, it does come off as a parody-movie waiting to happen.

This brings me to my first point in this “Will VM be successful?” question. I can’t help but wonder whether the tone of Veronica Mars will have changed from small screen to big. Will Rob Thomas stay true to that famous sharp-tongued wit we all know and love or will the years and responsibilities have weighed on our character and transformed her into a non-kick-butting grouch without a snarky quip to spare? To be honest, given Thomas’ assurances, I think the answer to that question is fairly obvious, because let’s face it - Veronica isn't Veronica without her trademark charming-smirk, and everyone knows it. The question is still an interesting one to consider though and I suppose that age-old saying “You’ll just have to wait and see…” is all we really have until we can see for ourselves. Of course a change of tone might not be the tragedy I have made it out to be thus far, because nearly ten years have passed since Veronica first graced our screens, and so some character development is expected, especially in the gap that has occurred in the seven years that we have been deprived of our once-regular Veronica Mars medicine. Hey, maybe that’s where the conflict in our VM movie will lie – Veronica losing her snoopy touch and then getting it back (I've heard rumours to this effect)… Guess I only have speculation at this point but either way a change of tone might be beneficial and necessary, so long as that famous sass isn't gone.

Would you rather the creators of The Inbetweeners had stopped with the TV series or did the movie fulfill your expectations and fuel your excitement for a sequel?!

Now that I've explored how this transition can have a positive outcome maybe I should offer you an example where the transition wasn't quite what the moviegoers of a particular “franchise” (is that the right word?) had been expecting. You know, for a well-rounded and un-bias as possible look at this issue. The example I offer is a British favourite: The Inbetweeners. The Inbetweeners was a very successful and sadly short-lived TV series which looked at the comedic hijinks of a group of awkward and run-of-the-mill teenage boys as they lived out the day-to-day pressures of experiencing what every teenager should. What made this show so brilliant and well-loved was its unique and truthful interpretation of the teenage experience as well as its lead characters, who all brought something “special” to their social group. Given the success of the TV show the creators behind it probably thought a movie would be a nice way to end our slice of Inbetweeners pie, however the movie lacked something the TV show had in heaps. It’s tricky to know exactly what that “something” is, because frankly I’m just going on my gut-feeling, but if I had to guess I’d say that the creators behind The Inbetweeners went with that “Go big or go home” motto and took it to the extreme with our beloved characters. I suppose the fan-expectation was a heady thing and so the creators thought the best way to satisfy the majority would be to give our characters everything they had hoped to attain throughout the TV series. However by caving into this pressure to provide a happy ending the tone of awkward hopelessness that made The Inbetweeners so unique and hilarious was lost. Don’t get me wrong, I love a happy ending, but not at the expense of realism.

This is where my segue into Veronica comes in, because the failures of The Inbetweeners Movie could so easily be the failures of our Mars movie. Will the fan pressure lead to a hasty and untrue ending on Rob Thomas’ part? Well frankly it is a valid worry, but not a hurdle I think us fans should worry about. Let’s face it, the guy has had six years to map out this epic comeback and I doubt he will cave into expectations of a happy ending or feel the pressure to provide a mind-bendingly original and genre defying plot. As long as we get some character resolution, which was stolen from us upon the premature cancellation of this show, I’m a happy chappy (chappette?). And yes, I know what you’re all thinking - we all want Veronica to get back together with Logan and see that big white wedding but, again, not at the expense of realism. Right? (I’m guessing half of you are resignedly shaking your head yes while the other half are vehemently shaking your head no). Still though, you can’t deny my logic. I mean don’t get me wrong guys, I’m as big a Veronica and Logan shipper as you can get, but I’m just saying what we all secretly know to be true. If Thomas can get these lovebirds together by the end without compromising the reality of the film then I would be very happy, but if he can’t…well then, he probably shouldn't  Besides, if enough conflict is left at the end of the movie we might even bag ourselves a sequel *fingers fervently crossed*.

So to bring this Veronica Mars themed ramble to a close I would like to express my excitement over this rather fantastic opportunity that we fans and backers have created (yes, I’m a financial backer of the Veronica Mars movie. I’m basically an executive producer. Get my name on IMDb asap! :P…). It’s because of us that this movie is possible, so let’s just pause for a moment and revel in how freakin’ cool that is!! This movie not only offers us our long awaited closure but also opens up a whole host of possibilities for other franchises that were ended too soon. I, for one, would like to see Freaks and Geeks brought to the big-screen, as well as the Gilmore Girls and last but by no means least - Community (six seasons and a movie people!).

A film ramblers star prediction? 

This prediction is based off of the quality of Veronica as a TV show which is something I’m sure will be carried over onto the big screen. Plus, based off of some of the rumours that have found themselves in the press lately, it looks like Rob Thomas has a few surprises in store for his fans (of the guest stars variety) which will only strengthen the star-rating (no pun intended) of the movie itself.

That’s it for now folks…