The Kickstarter campaign for a new revival of Mystery Science Theater 3000 by RiffTrax has exceeded expectations, pulling in $1.17 million within 24 hours. Launched to mark the 20th anniversary of RiffTrax, the project aims to produce four new episodes featuring returning cast members. The campaign, which began with a modest goal of $20,000, will run until March 16.
The revival effort for the cult comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000, known as MST3K, has gained significant momentum through a Kickstarter initiative led by RiffTrax and Shout! Studios. As of the latest update, the campaign has amassed $1.17 million, far surpassing its initial target of $20,000 set in honor of RiffTrax's 20th anniversary.
RiffTrax, the comedy outfit formed by former MST3K performers Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett in 2006, is collaborating with Shout! Studios, which now holds full rights to the series. The new production, titled Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments, will feature four episodes riffing on undisclosed movies, to be revealed progressively during the campaign. Nelson, Murphy, Corbett, and original cast member Mary Jo Pehl will contribute both on-screen and in production roles.
Filming is scheduled for later this year in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the birthplace of the original series. The episodes are set for release on RiffTrax's website by the end of 2026. Since 2006, the RiffTrax team has provided commentary for over 1,000 films, shorts, and TV shows, including live audience screenings.
MST3K originated in 1988 on a Minneapolis UHF station, where creator Joel Hodgson and later Nelson, alongside robot sidekicks, mocked B-movies. The show aired on Comedy Central and concluded on the Sci-Fi Channel in 1999 after 197 episodes. A 1996 feature film riffed on the 1955 sci-fi movie This Island Earth. Hodgson previously revived the series through a 2015 Kickstarter, leading to seasons on Netflix and The Gizmoplex.
This latest push echoes the successful fan-driven model that has kept the franchise alive, building on its legacy of humorous takes on cinematic oddities, such as the 1975 film Mitchell.
