Entertainment news and discussion on TalkFuse.
The Guild reunion film smashes fundraising goals, earning $2.5 million in less than a day
Felicia Day's fan-funded web series The Guild has secured its long-awaited reunion film after supporters pledged over $2.5 million within 24 hours of the crowdfunding campaign launching. The project, titled The Guild: Ren Faire'd, will mark the show's 20th anniversary in 2027 and continues the series' pioneering history of crowdfunding, having first been financed through PayPal donations back when Day launched it as an early web series about a group of MMORPG players.
The campaign smashed its $1.5 million funding target, with no stretch goals yet announced despite the surplus. The full original cast is set to reunite for a renaissance-faire-themed storyline, joined by guest stars including Wil Wheaton reprising his role as Fawkes. While a digital copy costs just $20, fans have splashed out on premium tiers: a $1,000 premiere bundle sold out at 150 pledges, and only one spot remains among the ten $25,000 "guild master" packages, which include an extra role, a cast dinner and a gaming session with Day. Day said the script is already finished and expressed confidence fans would let her bring the film to life without going through Hollywood.
In short
- The Guild reunion film raised $2.5m in under 24 hours
- Campaign smashed its $1.5m goal for The Guild: Ren Faire'd
- Premium pledge tiers, including a $25,000 package, nearly sold out
Explained simply
The Guild is a web series created by actress Felicia Day that premiered in 2007 and follows a group of friends navigating friendship and relationships through their shared hobby of playing an online multiplayer game. The show was innovative for its time, being one of the first series produced independently and distributed primarily online rather than through traditional television networks.
The series was also pioneering in its funding model—Day financed the early episodes by directly appealing to fans through PayPal donations, establishing one of the first examples of successful crowdfunding for creative projects. The show built a devoted following and demonstrated that audiences would support independent creators directly, without backing from major studios.
To mark the show's 20th anniversary, Day has announced a reunion film called The Guild: Ren Faire'd, which will reunite the original cast for a new story. True to the show's origins, the film is being funded through crowdfunding rather than traditional studio backing, continuing the model that made the series distinctive two decades ago.