THE OBENSON REPORT

Hmmm... with the original writer/director of the film involved (Paul Haggis), I'm not terribly excited about this. I despised the movie and was dumbfounded when it won the Oscar for best picture in 2005. But I'll hold judgment until I've seen a few episodes. I'm hoping that it's not replica of the film, and more of a realistic, gritty exposé/deconstruction of race relations in America, borrowing from shows like The Wire. Don Cheadle is said to be assuming producing duties and will also star in the TV version.

From E-Online:

Two years ago, Crash won the Best Picture Oscar in a major upset. Now the film is headed for a small-screen collision.

Paul Haggis, who cowrote and made his directorial debut on the tale of racial tension in Los Angeles, has agreed to executive produce a 13-episode TV series based on Crash to premiere on Starz in August.

Several of the movie's brain trust is on board, including cowriter-coproducer Bobby Moresco, producers Bob Yari, Mark Harris and Tom Nunan and producer-actor Don Cheadle, who may also reprise his role for the tube version.

Crash's TV story will pick up where the original ensemble flick left off. But with the possible exception of Cheadle, none of Crash's original stars is expected back. The film's cast included Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Terence Howard, Ryan Phillippe, Thandie Newton, Ludacris and Matt Dillon, who earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as a racist cop.

Instead, the show is poised to introduce all new characters and engage in more than race and class issues in the hour-long segments.

"This series will present an opportunity to delve into many subjects, not just race relations in L.A.," said Cheadle. "I don't think you can do 13 episodes on that subject and keep people interested. The challenge will be to craft the series characters in such a way as to get beneath the skin that supposedly differentiates them and create entertaining storylines that show the hurdles and obstacles we all struggle to overcome day to day."