Spotnitz prodco makes French play

Frank Spotnitz’s prodco, Big Light Productions, has hired a former Canal+ commissioner to oversee a newly-opened French office and projects in London.

Lorraine Sullivan will join the Man in the High Castle producer to oversee projects from Big Light’s London headquarters and the new Paris office that focus on drama, documentaries and films relating to France and Europe.

The former TPS, Canal+ and Lionsgate Entertainment industry veteran is currently based in the French capital.

“Lorraine is a gifted creative executive with strong relationships throughout France and Europe. She brings tremendous global knowledge and skills to the Big Light family,” said company founder Spotnitz. “There are so many compelling stories from France, and indeed the rest of Europe, that we are eager to share with the world.”

Sullivan oversaw acquisitions budgets and productions of numerous French movies while a commissioner for pay TV firms TPS and Canal in 2000-2010 period, having begun her career at US studio Lionsgate.

In 2013, she founded the Serial Eyes programme for professional TV series writers and producers at the Berlin Film School, which has Spotnitz, Jeffrey Bell (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Sky Italia’s Nicola Lusuardi, Denmark’s Emmy Award winner Sven Clausen among its mentors. She also created London’s France-focused TV event Totally Serialized.

Spotnitz made his name as a writer on The X-Files, before launching Big Light in 2013. His prodco counts Amazon Prime Instant Video’s new alternative history drama The Man in the High Castle, Crossing Lines season three for Canal+ and Transporter season two on its CV.

Currently in production is Medici: Masters of Florence, which is for Italian pubcaster RAI, counts companies such as Lux Vide as coproducers, and has Richard Madden and Dustin Hoffman attached.