Zach Braff’s Kickstarter campaign for his film Wish I Was Here closed this past Friday with a total of $3.1 million in funds. The funds, which generated controversy, were collected over a 30-day period from 46,520 fan pledges that included donations as small as $10 in exchange for t-shirts and as much as $10,000 in exchange for a small speaking role in the film. Predicted to cost a total of $5 million to produce, Worldview Entertainment signed on to the film last week and will provide gap financing.
Braff is best known for his work on the television series Scrubs, which he occasionally directed, as well as the critically-acclaimed film Garden State, which he wrote, directed, and starred in alongside Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Ian Holm. Garden State was an official selection at Sundance and earned a cult following in the years following its release. Braff co-wrote Wish I Was Here’s screenplay with his brother and plans to direct and star in the film along with cast members Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin, Anna Kendrick, Josh Gad, and Jim Parsons, who had a minor role in Garden State. The film will center on a struggling actor, husband, and father (to be played by Braff) who is struggling to find himself at 35.