Starz Preps Crash Series with Lionsgate

ENGLEWOOD, January 29:
Starz Entertainment has ordered its first original drama series, working with
Lionsgate for a 13×1-hour show based on the Academy Award-winning feature film Crash.

Crash will be co-produced by Lionsgate, with key members
of the Oscar-winning theatrical production team onboard for the series,
including the film’s director, co-writer and producer, Paul Haggis, co-writer and producer Bobby Moresco, producer Bob Yari, producer
Don Cheadle, producer Mark R. Harris and executive producer Tom Nunan.
Production is due to begin in the spring.

Announcing the move,
Stephan Shelanski, the executive VP of programming at Starz Entertainment,
commented: “Crash introduced a whole range of fascinating characters
and engrossing, intertwined stories that are ideally suited for developing into
a TV series. Starz is the premium channel for movies so it’s appropriate that
this Best Picture-winner is providing the basis for our first dramatic series.
The fact that key members of the film’s production team are involved will
ensure that our series maintains the high level of talent and creativity
captured in the film.”

Kevin Beggs, Lionsgate’s president of programming and production, added: “An
important part of our strategy is to create franchises across our company’s
divisions and early in our involvement with this extraordinary film, we
recognized its enormous potential to be successfully adapted for television. In
Starz, we have found partners who share our vision and we anticipate a great
collaboration.”

Haggis noted, “Ironically,
my initial impulse was to present the material in a format for television. I am
thrilled it's coming full circle and can't wait to see how it expands and
transforms.”

Starz Media’s Anchor Bay
Entertainment will hold exclusive U.S. distribution rights, including home
entertainment, to the Crash
series, while Lionsgate will retain international distribution.

—By Mansha Daswani