Kristen Bell stars in the coming 'Veronica Mars' movie, which will be released in movie theaters and video-on-demand on the same day. 
 
 On television, Veronica Mars was a gritty teenage private investigator who wasn't afraid to break down doors. Now a movie version of the show is about to do the same thing. 
 
 "Veronica Mars" will be released by Time Warner Inc. TWX -1.24% Time Warner Inc. U.S.: NYSE $67.68 -0.85 -1.24% AFTER HOURS $67.68 0.00 0.00% P/E Ratio 17.01 Market Cap $61.17 Billion Dividend Yield 1.88% Rev. per Employee $876,324 03/11/14 Disney in Talks to Acquire Onl... 03/09/14 '300: Rise of an Empire' Reign... 03/09/14 '300: Rise of an Empire' Fight... More quote details and news » TWX in Your Value Your Change Short position 's Warner Bros. in about 270 theaters on March 14, the same day that it is available to buy or rent online. It will mark the first time one of Hollywood's six major studios has distributed a movie in theaters and for home viewing at the same time in the U.S. 
 
 For decades, a sacrosanct "theatrical window" protected big-screen releases from the competition of DVD sales, rentals or other distribution platforms. Under intense pressure from the largest cinema chains, which argue that such competition would take business away from them, studios usually put at least three months between theatrical and DVD or video-on-demand releases. 
 
 In the past few years, independent studios and theaters have begun to chip away at the theatrical window with simultaneous releases—but only for low-profile movies and usually on a small number of screens. 
 
 For "Veronica Mars," which originated with a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter, Warner Bros. has found an unusual workaround. The studio is paying AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., AMC -3.35% AMC Entertainment Holding Inc. Cl A U.S.: NYSE $23.98 -0.83 -3.35% AFTER HOURS $25.00 +1.02 +4.25% P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap $535.06 Million Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A 02/25/14 Morning MoneyBeat: Record High... 02/21/14 'Veronica Mars' Release to Bre... 01/16/14 Sign of the Times? Billion-Dol... More quote details and news » AMC in Your Value Your Change Short position the nation's second-largest chain, to rent 260 screens across the country (the other 10 playing the film are independently owned). 
 
 Because Warner is renting the theaters, AMC doesn't consider it to be a violation of its standard 90-day window policy. Typically theater operators and studios split revenue from ticket sales. For "Veronica Mars," AMC will sell the tickets as usual, but Warner will pocket the box office sales. 
 
 "On projects like this where we know we have a partner with the resources to promote the film and an easily targetable audience, we will rent theaters out," said Nikkole Denson-Randolph, AMC's vice president of special and alternative content. The duration of the rentals will depend on how well the movie initially does, she said. 
 
 AMC has never rented out so many theaters for a single movie before, Ms. Denson-Randolph said. The most successful simultaneous releases in the past, such as "Arbitrage" starring Richard Gere, played primarily in independently owned theaters. Those theaters don't always adhere to traditional release windows and typically have smaller audiences. 
 
 AMC's major competitors, including Regal Entertainment Group RGC -1.28% Regal Entertainment Group Cl A U.S.: NYSE $19.21 -0.25 -1.28% AFTER HOURS $19.10 -0.11 -0.57% P/E Ratio 18.97 Market Cap $3.04 Billion Dividend Yield 4.58% Rev. per Employee $137,745 02/21/14 'Veronica Mars' Release to Bre... 12/12/13 Movie-Theater Chains Take On I... More quote details and news » RGC in Your Value Your Change Short position and Cinemark Holdings Inc., CNK -0.94% Cinemark Holdings Inc. U.S.: NYSE $30.60 -0.29 -0.94% AFTER HOURS $30.60 0.00 0.00% P/E Ratio 23.80 Market Cap $3.56 Billion Dividend Yield 3.27% Rev. per Employee $155,982 02/21/14 'Veronica Mars' Release to Bre... More quote details and news » CNK in Your Value Your Change Short position don't rent out theaters to movies that will be released at home within fewer than 90 days, said people in the industry. 
 
 It usually costs between $5,000 and $20,000 a week to "four wall" a single screen, as renting one out is known in the movie business, according to a knowledgeable person. Executives at AMC and Warner declined to discuss financial details of their agreement. 
 
 For Warner Bros., which is known for bigger budget event films like "The Lego Movie" and "Man of Steel," "Veronica Mars" represents an experiment, not a harbinger of broader changes to its business. 
 
 Although the "Veronica Mars" series was canceled by the CW Network—co-owned by Warner and CBS Corp. CBS -1.00% CBS Corp. Cl B U.S.: NYSE $66.09 -0.67 -1.00% AFTER HOURS $66.09 0.00 0.00% P/E Ratio 23.27 Market Cap $39.62 Billion Dividend Yield 0.73% Rev. per Employee $618,785 03/04/14 CBS CEO Says Dish Deal 'Great ... 02/24/14 Broadcasters Warn They May Rec... 02/21/14 'Veronica Mars' Release to Bre... More quote details and news » CBS in Your Value Your Change Short position —in 2007 because it drew only about 2.8 million viewers a week, its fan base has remained loyal and long demanded resolutions to plotlines left dangling. Show creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell pushed the movie idea last year and convinced Warner, which produced the show, to release it if they met a Kickstarter goal of $2 million. 
 
 The effort ended up raising $5.7 million from more than 91,000 people. Actors from the TV series including Percy Daggs II, Jason Dohring and Enrico Colantoni agreed to appear. 
 
 "The existence of Kickstarter and the emergence of the social Internet make something like this possible," said Thomas Gewecke, Warner's chief digital officer. "The economics work." 
 
 Because the passions for "Veronica Mars" run deep, executives at Warner and AMC said they are confident fans will go to theaters with friends and buy or rent a copy to watch again at home. Home pricing is set by cable and satellite providers, but on-demand rentals generally cost about $5 and digital purchases are between $15 and $20. 
 
 Some funds from the Kickstarter fundraising are being used for T-shirts, posters and other rewards promised to fans who donated money. The studio funded the rest of the movie, which ended up costing a little over $6 million in total. 
 
 Advertising is being done entirely online and in AMC theaters, with no traditional television spots or billboards. Given the movie's modest budget, Warner says it is counting only on the existing "Veronica Mars" fan base to attend. 
 
 "They can make it successful for us," said Jeff Goldstein, executive vice president of distribution for Warner. "If we extend beyond that, it'll be gravy." 
 
 Mr. Gewecke said Warner has looked at other properties from its television and film library to see if they could qualify for the same treatment of a low-budget movie that can be released simultaneously in theaters and online. "The passion of the fan base and the very strong connection to Rob and Kristen online are the essential ingredients," said Mr. Gewecke. 
 
 Write to Ben Fritz at ben.fritz@wsj.com 

 The major studios may have shuttered their independent film banners, but studio digital divisions are starting to borrow some of the release strategies used to roll out smaller-budgeted movies. 
 
 Warner Bros. Digital Distribution promised Rob Thomas a limited theatrical release for a “Veronica Mars” movie if he was able to raise the financing to produce the film. 
 
 After turning to Kickstarter to successfully raise over $5.7 million from more than 91,000 people for a feature-length adaptation of the WB-CW TV show, the studio has kept its promise, renting 270 theaters to show the film starting March 14. Most of those are operated by AMC, while 10 are independently-run screens. 
 
 But with a small but rabid fanbase, known as Marshmallows, for “Veronica Mars,” Warner Bros. and Thomas know they will make most of their money by renting and selling the film on video-on-demand and online platforms at the same time as the film plays in theaters. 
 
 Sources at Warner Bros. say the “Veronica Mars” strategy is a rare exception — a one-off release that isn’t meant to change the way the studio plans to release its films in the future. 
 
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 The studio stressed that the theatrical release is essentially a make-good to the Kickstarter campaign. It also serves as a way to eventize and promote the mostly direct-to-homevid release, help get it reviewed by critics, and fulfill certain rule requirements come awards season in which films must play in theaters to be considered for some nominations. A spin-off web series for the show is also being produced, while books are being published to keep the franchise alive through other formats. 
 
 Last month, Warner Bros. and AMC Theaters posted a full list of the theaters that will show the film on its website. 
 
 Ticket sales for an early fan event, on March 13, sold out quickly. 
 
 SEE ALSO: ‘Veronica Mars’ AMC Fan Event Sells Out, Prompting Additional Showtimes 
 
 
 
 Combined theatrical/VOD runs have long been used by companies like IFC, Magnolia, the Samuel Goldwyn Co. and other banners to drum up buzz for their indie titles. “Arbitrage” and “Margin Call” made significant amounts both in theaters and on VOD platforms. 
 
 Some have even released films to airlines and hotels before their theatrical releases during a premium VOD window, including Magnolia’s “The Last Days on Mars” and “Best Man Down.” 
 
 SEE ALSO: Magnolia to Give Films Pre-Theater Releases on Airlines With Gogo Vision 
 
 
 
 But Warner Bros. is being closely watched since it’s the first major to release a high-profile pic in theaters and on VOD at the same time. Homevideo releases typically follow 90 days after a film bows in theaters. 
 
 “Veronica Mars” is expected to be a rare exception, however, and not necessarily raise the ire of other theater chains. That’s primarily because AMC is one of the few major theater operators that actually rents out its screens to films that bow day-and-date on VOD or within the 90-day window. 
 
 In the past, theater owners have been more concerned about pricier tentpoles being made available on homevideo platforms earlier than usual, especially those that feature A-list talent. 
 
 In the fall of 2011, Universal Pictures scrapped plans to release “Tower Heist” on VOD — for $60 one-time rental free — three weeks after its theatrical premiere, following boycott threats from major exhibs. DirecTV also abandoned plans to launch select VOD titles 60 days after their theatrical release for $30 rentals after raising the ire of theater owners. 
 
 Warner Bros. said it did not receive complaints by other theater owners when it first announced plans to release “Veronica Mars” day-and-date on all platforms last year. It’s likely that’s because of the small number of screens on which it will play. 
 
 With its low $6 million budget and little to no marketing campaign being spent around it – Kristen Bell and the rest of its stars are tasked with doing much of the heavy lifting through interviews and social media posts – the “Veronica Mars” movie is more like the direct-to-video sequels the studios make to keep their franchises alive. 
 
 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is producing sequels for “Jingle All the Way,” “The Tooth Fairy” and “The Marine,” while Universal has built a strong homevid biz around “American Pie,” “Bring It On” and “Death Race” and Disney with its “Tinker Bell” films. In the past, WB also has produced direct-to-homevideo sequels to “The Dukes of Hazzard.” The production budgets of those films fall in the same range as the “Veronica Mars” film. 
 
 Still, if “Veronica Mars” proves popular, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution will now have a new way to get those projects onto the big screen and build hype for their sale on online platforms. 
 
 And if it doesn’t, AMC was able to make some money by renting its theaters and generate some goodwill among a vocal and loyal fanbase still enamored with Bell’s sleuth. 
 
 The National Assn. of Theater Owners declined to comment.
– Veronica Mars already set a Hollywood precedent by turning to Kickstarter for a successful fundraising campaign. Now it will set another on its release date of March 14, reports the Wall Street Journal. Warner Bros. will make the movie available online and for video-on-demand services the same day it opens in theaters, a first for any of the major studios. Normally, big theater chains demand a 90-day window before movies become available elsewhere, but Warner Bros. is getting around that with a technicality: It's actually renting 260 theaters from AMC to show the movie. Is this the way of the future? Variety doesn't think so, calling this a "one-off" exception to make good on filmmaker Rob Thomas' promise to Kickstarter donors for a limited theatrical release. What's more, given the TV series' strong fan base, the movie is likely to make most of its money not in theaters but in rentals and DVD purchases. "The existence of Kickstarter and the emergence of the social Internet make something like this possible," says a Warner exec. "The economics work."