Dennis Hopper to Crash Into Starz Series

A co-production of Starz and Lionsgate, "Crash" begins shooting this month in Los Angeles and Albuquerque under the aegis of Glen Mazzara ("The Shield"), who is writer, executive producer and showrunner, and his co-executive producers Frank Renzulli ("The Sopranos") and Ted Mann ("Deadwood"). Director of the first episode is Sanford Bookstaver ("Bones").

At a production cost of more than $2 million an episode, "Crash" is the biggest original scripted series ever set in motion by Starz. The vast majority of the network's programming is theatrical movies, and "Crash" represents the first of what Starz expects will be a number of original series based on recognizable theatricals, said Stephan Shelanski, executive VP of programming for Starz Entertainment.