Will 'Veronica Mars' Change the Movie Industry?

 

Veronica Mars is scheduled for release later this week both online and in theatres, and the film could forever change how studio executives and producers fund, distribute and release their films.

Might we be at an historic crossroads whereby the Dual-Distribution Movie method proves that the old studio-centric model of theatrical first is dead and gone? Might this be the movie industry's iPod moment when the music business was turned upside-down? Here's the lowdown on Veronica Mars movie:

• Show creator and now movie producer/director, Rob Thomas, asked fans to contribute money via Kickstarter to produce the film, Veronica Mars.
• The Kickstarter crowdfund raised over $5.7 million from over 91,000 contributors.
• The tv series on which the film is based, went off the air about seven years ago.
• Kristen Bell, star of Showtime's House of Lies, is the lead in Veronica Mars.
• Warner Bros.'s Time Warner (TWX_)is distributing the film.
• Veronica Mars premiered at SXSW on March 8.
• Warner Bros. rented screens from AMC Entertainment (AMCX_) so they could carry out the dual release  --  releasing the film in both theatres and on demand via Amazon and iTunes on the release date.
• In renting out the AMC screens, Warner Bros. will take in all the box office sales, replacing the usual way of theatres and studios splitting revenues from movie ticket sales.
• Movie theatres commonly have a 90-day or 3-month release window to stay clear of on-demand release of the same film so as not to take away from the theatre's revenues.