Spike Lee Asks Fans to Lend a Hand to Finance Next Project

Do the Right Thing made director Spike Lee a star. Now, he’s asking his fans to fund his next project.

Lee’s entrance into the film world, the one-two punch of She’s Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing, declared the dawn of a major new talent. He also helped open doors for a generation of black filmmakers.

The director’s slow but steady decline, both at the box office and in the eyes of most film critics, has been difficult to watch. 

His latest “joint” needs your help. Lee is working with the crowdsourcing web site Kickstarter to fund a new film featuring blood-addicted humans (it’s not Blacula, he promises in the site’s introduction).

I say my Prayers every night because I have been able to do what I Love and I Love what I do. I am a Filmmaker and I’m blessed. Most people on this God’s Earth go to the grave hating the occupation they had. When you Love what you do it’s not a job, it’s something you would do for free because it brings True Joy to your Heart and Soul. When you are blessed to do that especially if you’re an Artist it can bring those emotions of the Human Experience to your Audience (if you are Lucky). The catch is Filmmaking is an Artform that costs M-O-N-E-Y. That is why I’m appealing to the Kindness in your Hearts, to the Faithful who have given me the much needed Love and Support over my 3 decades of Spike Lee Joints.

The accompanying video finds Lee positioning himself as David going up against Goliath:

This is a motherfucking tough business … and I’m gonna keep fighting the powers that be.

Said powers would be happy to write checks for his films if they turned a hefty profit or earned their studios awards consideration.

Lee is known for his contentious comments in the press, and last year he Tweeted what he thought was the address of George Zimmerman. Now, his tone is softer, more conciliatory, as he asks fans to help him fund his latest feature.

The independent filmmaking world has certain changed in recent years, and even established directors are having a harder time funding their projects. Lee’s embrace of the Kickstarter method reflects both Hollywood’s changing economic structure as well as his inability to carry through on his early career promise.