Spike Lee Launches $1.25 Million Kickstarter Campaign for Next Film
by Rebecca Ford, The Hollywood Reporter
July 22, 2013
The director follows in the footsteps of Zach Braff to crowdsource is upcoming project about people's addiction to blood.
Spike Lee is turning to Kickstarter to help him fund his next film.
The Red Hook Summer director has launched a campaign asking people to help him raise $1.25 million dollars for his next film, which will be about people's addiction to blood. "A lot of sex in it too," adds Lee in a video on the site.
Lee, whose next film will be the remake of Oldboy, starts out his video greeting mentioning the recent success that film production has had through Kickstarter, including the Veronica Mars movie and Zach Braff's upcoming pic Wish I Was Here.
"Filmmaking is what I do, filmmaking is what I love. You guys, help me keep it going because this is a mother f---ing tough business," says Lee, who adds that he won't be taking a fee for the project.
For those who contribute $5, Lee will provide a Tweet of thanks and project updates. The incentives go up from there, ranging from an autographed DVD to a phone call from Lee and -- for a contribution of $10,000 -- dinner and a New York Knicks game with Lee.
"With the current climate in The Hollywood Studio System it's not an encouraging look for Independent Filmmakers," Lee states in the note on his Kickstarter page. "I'm not hating, just stating the facts. Super Heroes, Comic Books, 3D Special EFX, Blowing up the Planet Nine Times and Fly through the Air while Transforming is not my Thang."
Lee's campaign runs for 30 days, until Aug. 21.
Spike Lee Reaches $1.25 Million Kickstarter Goal
August 18, 2013, The Hollywood Reporter Staff
Spike Lee has reached his Kickstarter goal of $1.25 million. His campaign crossed the finish line on Friday, August 16, 2013.
Lee, who launched his campaign on July 21, had 30 days to reach his fundraising goal so that he could make his next film, which he says will be about people's addiction to blood.
He hit the $1 million mark with about one week left in his campaign.
Lee, whose next film will be a remake of Oldboy, included a video greeting on Kickstarter that explained his inspiration to start the campaign were the success stories of the Veronica Mars movie and Zach Braff's upcoming pic Wish I Was Here on the fundraising platform.
"Filmmaking is what I do, filmmaking is what I love. You guys, help me keep it going because this is a motherf---ing tough business," says Lee, who adds that he won't be taking a fee for the project.
For those who contributed $5, Lee provides a Tweet of thanks and project updates. The incentives go up from there, ranging from an autographed DVD to a phone call from Lee and -- for a contribution of $10,000 -- a day on set and in the edit bay with Lee.
Lee described the project as about "human beings who are addicted to Blood. Funny, Sexy and Bloody. A new kind of love story (and not a remake of Blacula)."
After the campaign was launched, some people criticized the established director for eclipsing attempts by younger aspiring filmmakers to crowdfund their films. Lee defended his actions in a video.
"I understand why people might think that, but that's not the case at all," he said. "I'm bringing people to Kickstarter who've never even heard of Kickstarter," particularly "a lot of people of color."
August 21, 2013
The campaign offically ended on August 21, 2013 at 12:15PM and as of that time the offical amount rasied was $1,418,910.
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