It took just 158 backers to reach the Kickstarter funding goal for Mark Staufer's ebook, thanks in large part to friend Russell Crowe.
The actor donated $25,000 of the $75,000 needed so Staufer could create "The Numinous Place" which, according to the Kickstarter pitch:
"has the visual impact of a Hollywood blockbuster, and the pace, depth and intrigue of an irresistible work of fiction... We artfully merge video, audio, images and text to reveal the greatest conspiracy of all time… It's like if The Da Vinci Code came to life in your hands showing you actual video footage of the clues and interviews with suspects, presented the real life historical documents and artifacts, and played you recordings of crucial pieces of evidence."
"The Numinous Place is going to change the way you experience books," Staufer tells M2Woman magazine. "And much of the narrative takes place in New Zealand where Russell and I both grew up. I think that's one of the reasons he's been so supportive. He and I both get homesick, and the book with its audio and video components answers a call of the heart when we can't get back to our country of birth."
The funding launched on July 10 and ran for one month, reaching its goal with hours remaining, which would not have been possible without Crowe's substantial contribution.
Staufer told M2Woman that he and Crowe are currently working on a biopic of comedian Bill Hicks, who died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at age 32. Crowe is set to direct.