That time has come around once again: The time to #MakeMoreMST3K. Fans of the cult movie-riffing series, which has lived on and on in stops and starts, in various formats since 1989, have been wondering since the end of the self-produced 13th season of MST3K whether there were still more movies to come. Today, we get our answer–along, of course, with a host of new questions–but at the very least we can confirm that original series creator Joel Hodgson and crew intend to make MST3K season 14. And it will also apparently take another massive crowdfunding campaign to do it.
This is a story that has become plenty familiar to fans of the series, ever since Netflix first revived it following a nearly 20-year hiatus in 2017. The ardor of those fans shocked the industry when they pledged millions via Kickstarter to bring MST3K back to life, and then they went right back and did it again by raising another $6.5 million on Kickstarter in 2021, when the show left Netflix and launched its own streaming model, dubbed The Gizmoplex. Along the way, they brought Joel back for his first episode of the series since the 1990s, and introduced newest host Emily Marsh to the MSTie faithful. Since season 13 ended almost a year ago, though, fans have been left wondering about The Gizmoplex’s fate. Now we at least have an idea of the road forward, though there will surely be some fans who aren’t exactly happy that it will require another record-breaking crowdfunding campaign to keep The Gizmoplex’s lights on.
The initial goal for Season 14, raised via the newly unveiled crowfdunding platform that MST3K is referring to as Showmaker, is $4.8 million for six new feature-length episodes, six new shorts, and 18 new “surgically enhanced” classic episodes with visual components upgraded to 1080p. Further stretch goals would carry the season further: “At $6.1 million, the next season will expand to nine new episodes, nine new shorts and 27 surgically enhanced old school episodes. At $7.4 million, the season will grow to 12 new episodes, 12 new shorts, and a whopping 36 surgically enhanced classic episodes, all set to premiere in the Gizmoplex.” All major cast members from the Netflix era onward will be invited to return.
“I’m thrilled that next year, MST3K turns 35,” said Hodgson in a statement. “Someone recently asked me if I ever imagined the show would be around for 35 years when I created it, and I had to pause and say, ‘No. I didn’t.’ Our status as a long-running comedy series with robot puppets riffing on B-movies was ridiculous when it started, and now, 35 years later, it borders on ludicrous. That being said, in all seriousness, the enduring success of the show is a tribute to the collaboration between our many talented writers, performers, and craftspeople, and our generous, loyal audience.”
Even as a lifelong MST3K fan, I personally have to say that this seems like a big ask for the show’s crew, to conduct yet another crowdfunding campaign that blows past even the insanely lofty standards of the previous two. One would hope that a show as beloved as MST3K could eventually find a model that is self-sustaining in some way more permanent than these (massively successful) forays into direct crowdfunding. Questions abound about the new model and funding site: If the campaign were to make, say, $2 million, will the money be returned? Will Hodgson and crew produce only a few episodes? Can fans trust the perks and rewards, when the last batch from 2021’s crowdfunding campaign only recently were finally delivered? Some of these questions are addressed or answered by the campaign FAQ, but there’s still quite a lot of uncertainty here. Hopefully the crew will provide more information during this 30-day campaign.
At the same time, I will admit that I’ve had my doubts about some of the show’s previous fundraising drives, and they both smashed every expectation. Already in the course of writing this news post on the MST3K season 14 kickoff, roughly 1,000 contributors have already brought the total past $200,000. Who’s to say that MST3K can’t pull it off once again?
You can contribute or follow along with the campaign at showmaker.mst3k.com, on Facebook (facebook.com/MST3K), X/Twitter (@MST3K) and Instagram (@MST3K).