Comic-Con: ‘Veronica Mars’ Creator Wants Film to Launch Franchise

If Rob Thomas gets his way, the “Veronica Mars” movie “will be the start” of a new franchise.

“I want to be a (James) Bond franchise,” said the writer and creator of the “Veronica Mars” TV series which turned to Kickstarter to raise millions for a film that bows early next year, reuniting the show’s cast.

“We want the film to be the start of something” and “wanted to go big” to launch a new series of stories around Kristen Bell’s title character. Thomas is also writing a new series of novels that will be published around the release of the movie.

Film has two more days of production left before it wraps. “We made an incredibly ambitious low-budget movie,” he said, wishing he had more days to shoot. “Every day we’re racing against the clock.

Thomas gave few plot details but described the film to the third “Godfather,” with the Veronica Mars character finding herself “pulled back into the life she left behind,” he said. “She has not worked as a private detective since the last time you saw her in season three. “The story I wanted to tell is the story I think the fans want to see. This will be on my tombstone. I’m so proud of this show.”

Castmembers were elated to return to “Veronica Mars.”

“All of us really secretly hoped this would eventually happen,” said Tina Majorino. “But I never got my hopes up because you never know. Our characters are seeing each other for the first time in years and we are all seeing each other for the first time in years.”

Francis Capra was especially grateful, “I thought I fell off the face of the planet,” after the series ended. “This brought me back to life again. You guys brought my family back.”


Related stories

Spike Lee Opens Up on Why He Turned to Kickstarter (Exclusive)

Comic-Con: More 'Fight Club' Coming as Graphic Novel Sequels

Comic-Con: What Joss Whedon Has Planned for 'The Avengers' Sequel

Get more from Variety.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter