'Veronica Mars' Movie Online, Review, Release Date & SXSW: Warner Bros. to Refund Kickstarter Donors Having Problems With Flixster, Ultraviolet
Last night, Rob Thomas, creator of Veronica Mars, announced that Warner Bros. customer support is responding to complaints from people who backed the film but can only view it on the studio's exclusive Flixter and Ultraviolet service, which many users say isn't working properly.
"If you paid for a copy of the movie a year ago, we don't want you to have less choice and freedom than people who decide to buy it today. And we definitely don't want you to end up paying twice just to see the movie on your preferred service," Rob Thomas recently wrote on Kickstarter referring to more widely used platforms like iTunes and Amazon.
For those who couldn't get the video streaming service to work so far, Warner Bros. will offer refunds if backers send in their receipts.
The film premiered at SXSW last week and received positive reviews. Kickstarter backers received special codes to view the film on Warner Bros.' streaming service known as Flixster/Ultraviolet, the movie studio industry's alternative to iTunes and Amazon. The problem is that Ultraviolet is harder to use and prevents people with Apple TVs from viewing Ultraviolet titles on their televisions, causing many consumer complaints. Warner Bros. is doing the right thing by refunding viewers who didn't get what they expected.
Veronica Mars is about a high schooler who worked as a private detective. The show had a strong viewer base but was cut short of its full potential, leading to a Kickstarter campaign that rallied public opinion to resurrect the show into a feature film. The biggest donors were able to play a role in the film's direction.
After its launch more than a year ago, the Veronica Mars movie raised $1 million in four hours, setting a funding record for the site. The campaign reached its goal of $2 million in 10 hours and ended with $5.7 million raised.