Actor Zach Braff uses Kickstarter to raise over $1 million for new film

FROM CNN'S MARQUEE BLOG:

Courteney Cox, Jessica Simpson and Aaron Paul are just a few of the famous who have joined fans in supporting Zach Braff.

The 38-year-old actor/filmmaker is following in the footsteps of Rob Thomas, who set a record when he Kickstarted a "Veronica Mars" movie in March, with his own Kickstarter concept: a follow-up to his 2004 feature directorial debut, "Garden State."

Called "Wish I Was Here," the movie's co-written by Braff and his brother, Adam, and centers on a struggling actor, husband and father named Aidan Bloom.

Braff's hoping to raise $2 million for the follow-up by 3 p.m. ET on May 24, and he's well on his way to reaching half of his goal within a day. He said he was initially going to go with a "typical financing deal" for the project, but doing so "would have involved making a lot of sacrifices I think would have ultimately hurt the film."

READ MORE: Zach Braff gets Kickstarter support for 'Garden State' follow up