As of now, the Indiegogo campaign for Super Troopers 2 has garnered more than $3.1 million. It achieved its $2 million target within a day of its launch on Thursday. Only time will tell how much more it will raise before the campaign concludes on April 25, but it has the potential to be one of the top 20 most successful crowdfunding projects to date, even if it doesn’t match the achievements of the ever-evolving Star Citizen. Not too shabby for a sequel to a quirky cop comedy released over a decade ago.
The remarkable success of Super Troopers 2‘s campaign can be largely attributed to the enduring affection for the Broken Lizard comedy group, which is revisiting its cult classic from 2001. Credit also goes to Ivan Askwith, a relatively unknown figure who has made a name for himself as a crowdfunding expert. He played a key role behind the scenes on various successful campaigns, including the Kickstarter for the Veronica Mars movie, which raised $5.7 million from 90,000 supporters, and the $5.4 million effort to revive the beloved children’s show Reading Rainbow. Prior to this, he led the Digital Media division at Lucasfilm, overseeing the promotion of several Star Wars initiatives.
Although he has an impressive portfolio, Askwith remains humble and directs praise back to Broken Lizard, akin to a campaign manager always pivoting the discussion back to his candidate. "They accomplished something remarkable—creating a film that still resonates 15 years later," he explains. "Many die-hard Super Troopers fans saw the Indiegogo pitch and thought, ‘I at least owe these guys a dollar.’" In fact, a one-dollar contribution awards backers the "Bare-Ass Bundle," which humorously features a photocopy of a member’s "sweet mother loving" backside.
So, what do the creators plan to do with the funds? "First, we’re going to rub the money all over ourselves, just like Demi Moore in Indecent Proposal," they jokingly noted on their Indiegogo page. They further humorously mentioned plans to kiss each dollar bill, swim in a pool filled with cash, and even bury the money while promising to tell no one about it before ultimately using it for the production and marketing of the film. Though Fox Searchlight is distributing the film, the Broken Lizard team must secure all funding independently.
The campaign page is filled with this type of irreverent humor. "A campaign has to be entertaining, like we’re putting on a show," Askwith states. "While many campaigns typically feature just one pitch video followed by a few updates, Broken Lizard opted for a launch video and around 20 follow-up videos released almost daily. It’s reminiscent of the Exploding Kittens campaign, which made crowdfunding genuinely fun." Now that the Super Troopers 2 campaign has surpassed its original goal, the team will shift its focus to explaining how additional funds could enhance the film, as well as devising new stretch goals to draw in more backers and encourage existing supporters to increase their contributions. "We intend to subtly introduce new rewards every few days," Askwith reveals. "The media has been fascinated with the idea of the Broken Lizard guys serving as groomsmen (or bridesmaids) at weddings for $25,000. We’re brainstorming even more outrageous ideas, like a pledge to drink a beer with one of them over Skype, or a donation that allows them to accompany you to a clothing store to help pick out an outfit."