In a clip posted to YouTube on Tuesday, April 8, Alan Ritchson as his “Blue Mountain State” character Thad Castle announced that his popular television show will be made into a movie using a Kickstarter campaign. (The video posted is a tampered version of Jimmy Kimmel’s interview with Kanye West, but still we get “BMS” back.)
“Blue Mountain State,” which was broadcasted by the Spike TV, lasted three seasons before its abrupt ending in 2011. The show followed Blue Mountain State College quarterback Alex Moran (Darin Brooks), BMS captain Thad Castle and BMS mascot Sammy Cacciatore (Chris Romano) through their extravagant and highly inappropriate lifestyles while attending college.
Fans of the show were upset with the unexpected ending because they never got to watch Moran’s senior year at Blue Mountain State and felt the show never properly concluded.
A junior communication major and avid fan of the show, Maggie Lowy, said, “I honestly felt a little empty because they cancelled it without answering so many questions. Right at the peak of the show, they took it away.”
When the fourth season was cancelled in 2012, producer Eric Falconer tweeted, “BMS wasn’t cancelled because of a drop in ratings. Season 3 was actually up 20% + in all male demographics vs S2. It was a budget issue.”
To avoid budget issue concerns, “Blue Mountain State: The Movie” will be funded by a Kickstarter campaign that officially began on Tuesday, April 15. The campaign is asking for donations with a final goal of $500,000 by Thursday, May 15. Through the Kickstarter website, fans can donate the funds needed to put Blue Mountain State on the big screen.
“There are a host of benefits. First, crowdfunding allows all interested parties, not just traditional investors, to participate in the financing and development of projects. Participation in this process by common citizens has become a growing trend in recent years. It not only democratizes the development process by leveling the playing field regarding who can get their ideas promoted, but it also democratizes the financing side of the equation. Second, launching a Kickstarter project page often lets producers test the waters regarding the public reception of an idea,” specialist communication professor Robert Scott said.
Scott added, “Finally, Kickstarter provides a cost efficient and relatively low-risk, central location for people to promote ideas while retaining control over development, something that does not always occur with traditional investing. And because it is online, individuals can be selective about which digital and social tools they want to leverage for marketing and fundraising.”
Nicole Rubino, a junior education student, said even though Kickstarter is a fairly new route, she is not surprised that the production team of “BMS” decided to use it. She said that since it was such a popular show, she believes the funds could definitely be raised through a Kickstarter campaign.
“I’m not surprised they are using Kickstarter,” Rubino said. “I am surprised it has taken this long to start one, but I’m sure it will be a huge success.”
The Kickstarter campaign offers perks to those who donate a certain amount of money. For example, if someone pledges $50 to the project, they will receive a “BMS” shirt, a digital download of the movie, and other”BMS” merchandise.
With each donation tier, fans are given more “BMS” perks. For a $300 pledge, fans can receive “The Denise Richards Package” which includes all of the above tier prizes as well as a signed Denise Richards poster.
In the first three minutes of fundraising, the Kickstarter campaign raised $2,000. As of late, the project has reached $40,000 from fan donations.
Chris Romanski, who is the show’s producer, director, writer and actor has already announced he will be back for the movie.
“We’re makin’ a movie brobeanses… Well if we get the money we are. #BMSKickstarter,” Romanski tweeted shortly after Ritchson’s YouTube video was published.
Within hours of creation, the “Blue Mountain State: The Movie” Facebook page received over 10,000 likes while the twitter account has gained over 8,000 followers.
Who of the original cast will return? Ritchson, Brooks, Cacciatore, and Ed Marinaro who played Coach Marty Daniels have all agreed to return to film the movie, and let’s be honest, if they did not return, “Blue Mountain State: The Movie” wouldn’t have the “BMS” fans have come to love.
A junior business major, Artyome Pearl, said that although he would prefer another season of the show, he is not opposed to a movie.
“I do not think it’s an issue of practicality,” Pearl said when asked if a movie or another season was more ideal. “It’s more about what the viewers love about ‘BMS.’ I like how the story of the team is told through anecdotes of their experiences in college.”
“I expect [the movie] to be ten times better than the show only because it’s been gone for SO long,” Lowy said. “It will be amazing because all the fans have missed it so much.”
On the other hand, Rubino does not know what to expect from the film.
“I feel like they are just going to pick up where they left off from the last season. I can’t really predict what they will put in it, but I’m sure it will give the show the closure it deserves,” Rubino said.
So what should viewers expect from the film?
“To laugh,” Pearl said. As many “BMS” fans agree, this is one aspect that will be certain when it comes to “Blue Mountain State: The Movie.”
PHOTO TAKEN from lionsgatepublicity.com
