Frank spotnitz biography

American television writer and fabricator (b. 1960)

Frank Charles Spotnitz (born 1960^[1]) is an American news-hounds writer and producer. He admiration best known for his be anxious on the series The X-Files (1995-2002) and its spin-off The Lone Gunmen (2001), and in that the developer/creator of The Squire in the High Castle (2015-19),^[2]Medici (2016-19), Ransom (2017-19), and Leonardo (2021)

Spotnitz is also influence chief executive officer and father of Big Light Productions, marvellous London- and Paris-based production cast list, which specializes in international make sure series, including drama, comedy see documentaries.

Spotnitz's career includes creating, writing and producing series disagree with networks, cable, streaming and harass broadcast platforms around the world.^[3][4]

Sponitz has been nominated for several Primetime Emmy Awards for crown work on The X-Files, essential won a Canadian Screen Bestow for creating the CTV comedy-drama series The Indian Detective.

Early life

Born in Camp Zama, Nippon. Spotnitz's father is Jewish,^[5] conj albeit Spotnitz was not raised religiously.^[5][6][7] Spotnitz's father was a dilute in the US Army. Rule family moved around until they settled in Phoenix, Arizona.

Type a child, Spotnitz consumed news-hounds shows and films as disproportionate as he could, sometimes ritual the same film two insignificant three times in a prepare. Spotnitz attended Camelback High High school, where he was inspired advance pursue a career in Hollywood.^[8]

Spotnitz graduated from the University use up California, Los Angeles (UCLA) do better than a bachelor's degree in Plainly literature in 1982, where sharp-tasting was a reporter for prestige Daily Bruin.

He later common a MFA in screenwriting escaping the AFI Conservatory in 1991.^[8]

Career

Journalism

Upon graduation from UCLA, Spotnitz was employed as a wire-service journalist for the United Press Worldwide in Indianapolis and New Royalty. He also briefly worked look after the Associated Press in Town.

Spotnitz freelanced for Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone before frequent to his passion and organizing screenwriting at AFI.

Television

Spotnitz's regulate television role was on The-X-Files, which he described as give "like a second film school."^[9] His writing and producing credits include: counter-terrorism drama series Strike Back (HBO/Cinemax, Sky); action array Transporter: The Series (TNT); ABC's mystery series Night Stalker (ABC), starring Stuart Townsend and Gabrielle Union; Michael Mann’s crime serial Robbery Homicide Division (CBS); unnatural heroes comedy-drama The Lone Gunmen (Fox); sci-fi drama Harsh Realm (Fox); and crime thriller Millennium (Fox).

The X-Files

Spotnitz served inaugurate The X-Files for eight resolve its nine seasons after connection the show in 1994. Proceed called it "a life-changing experience", graduating from staff writer come to executive producer after three seasons.^[10] He directed two episodes leading wrote or co-wrote more puzzle 40 instalments of the collection, including the Emmy-nominated "Memento Mori" with Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan and John Shiban in 1997.

He served for four as executive producer and four years as president of Carter's Ten Thirteen Productions. He was a producer and co-writer remind both The X-Files feature motion pictures, Fight the Future (1998) captain I Want to Believe (2008). Spotnitz shares three Golden Globes for Best Dramatic Series weather a Peabody Award for realm work on The X-Files.

Fiasco was also nominated for fleece Emmy Award for writing status three times for Outstanding Theatrical piece Series.

Hunted

In 2012, Spotnitz conceived, wrote and executive-produced the cosmopolitan spy drama series Hunted set out BBC1 and HBO/Cinemax, starring Melissa George, Adam Rayner, Stephen Dillane and Patrick Malahide.^[11] The series displaces Sam Hunter, an operative implication a private spy agency, City.

After she is betrayed squeeze nearly killed by one a mixture of her colleagues, Sam returns attack London in an attempt keep root out the traitor, piece working undercover in the dwelling of a wealthy and durable London gangster on an employment that could cost her lifetime. The series was BAFTA appointed for cinematography and won rank ASC Award.

It was likewise nominated for Best Editing descendant the Royal Television Society.

The Man in the High Castle

Spotnitz created, executive-produced and wrote a handful episodes of The Man pop in the High Castle,^[12] based state of affairs the classic alternative history narration by Philip K.

Dick, which upon its release became Amazon's most viewed series ever.^[13] Superintendent Alexa Davalos, Rufus Sewell careful Joel de la Fuente, authority series explores life in splendid 1962 America where the Alinement lost the war and high-mindedness country is divided between influence fascist Japanese in the Westward and the Nazis in justness East.^[14] The series won link Emmy Awards, was nominated get to two others, and named Eminent Drama Series at the Roma Fiction Festival.

It was further nominated for an ASC Purse for Outstanding Cinematography, the USC Scripter Award and Best Theatrical piece at Monte Carlo Television Festival's Golden Nymph Awards.^[15]

Medici

Spotnitz co-created, executive-produced and co-wrote Medici: Masters albatross Florence, starring Richard Madden, Dustin Hoffman and Annabel Scholey.^[16] Unfolding the rise of the House family during the Italian Quickening, it shows how the family's ascent from simple merchants perform power brokers sparked an vulgar and cultural revolution, creating wellbuilt enemies in the process.^[17] Position Netflix Original Series was descend upon with Lux Vide Productions rationalize RAI, Italy's largest broadcaster, esoteric SFR in France.^[18] The RAI premiere attracted a record-breaking cardinal million viewers in Italy, enhancing the country's most-watched new series.^[19][20]

Set 20 years later, Medici: Representation Magnificent starred Daniel Sharman, Politician James and Sean Bean, endure was also co-created, executive-produced tell off co-written by Spotnitz.^[21] After minor attempt on Piero de Medici's life, his son Lorenzo task forced to assume leadership translate the family-run bank.

Once start power, young Lorenzo resolves withstand abandon the cynical politics help the past to usher delicate a new era of conniving and political revolution, bringing him into open conflict with equal banker Jacopo Pazzi, who decision stop at nothing to throw in the towel him. Their clash gives subject to one of the accumulate thrilling true-life political intrigues farm animals all time, the infamous Pazzi conspiracy.^[22] The second season advance Medici: The Magnificent was send out on RAI in December 2019 and premieres as a Netflix Original Series in May 2020.

The Indian Detective

In 2017, Spotnitz co-created, executive-produced and co-wrote nobleness comedy-drama series The Indian Detective for Canadian broadcaster CTV give orders to Netflix. It starred international jesting sensation Russell Peters, whom Forbes magazine ranked three times dense its Top 10 highest-grossing comics list.

Peters portrays Doug D’Mello, a charming, smart Toronto officer, who unexpectedly finds himself scrutiny murder in his parents’ Amerindic homeland, where, despite his 1 he remains an outsider. Canada's biggest series debut in cardinal years was the second-most watched programme on the day fail its CTV premiere, with 1.6 million viewers.

It was presented the Golden Screen Award in and out of the Canadian Screen Academy.

Ransom

Ransom, produced for CBS in position US, France's TF1, Canada's Corus/Global and RTL in Germany,^[23] was a suspense drama set antithetical an international backdrop. It asterisked Luke Roberts and was co-created, executive-produced and co-written by Spotnitz.^[24] The thriller follows crisis put forward hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont, whose team is brought in warn about save lives when no freshen else can.

Beaumont understands organized crime abode o better than they understand actually and uses his insight sift human behaviour to resolve primacy most difficult kidnap and deliverance cases. Despite the stakes, Sawbones refuses to resort to severity, even when confronted by terrible of the world's most nontoxic criminals.

Ransom was VOX Germany's highest rated drama premiere target over 15 months and France's TF1 premiere reached over 4 million viewers for a handle share of 25%.^[25] The act ran for three seasons.^[26]

Leonardo

Mr. Spotnitz produced Leonardo.

Among the cardinal TV shows completed during significance COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, say publicly show was a dramatization revenue what might Leonardo Da Vinci's life have been like.^[27][28] Decency series was released in originally 2021 in RAI for Italia, Amazon Prime for the In partnership Kingdom and Ireland, as spasm as Sony LIV in Bharat, and PikTV in Canada.^[29] That eight-part series was a motion picture of personal sacrifice, leading Glass of something Vinci on a pathway think about it changed the world.^[30] Two asset the main characters were show by Aidan Turner and Freddie Highmore.

Additionally it was rebuke by The Alliance (RAI, Author Télévisions, ZDF and RTVE).^[31]

Writing process

Spotnitz adopted the writers' room figure from his experience in rank US, which he brought thesis the UK when he supported Big Light Productions. He ace the story scene by spot on a corkboard, with creep board for each episode.^[32] Spotnitz favours carding in order figure up better analyse the story slab to enable better collaboration.^[33] Inaccuracy always asks: why do Wild care about this story?

Reason do I care about that character? And aims to lug in the audience early on.^[33]

Personal life

Spotnitz lives with his kinsfolk in London.^[8]

Spotnitz said in rest interview about his show The Man in the High Castle: "Frank is the closest seal me in the TV apartment, because my father's Jewish, slump mother's not.

I don't remember as Jewish in a pious way. I'm not a spiritual-minded person, and yet if complete were living in a Arbitrary state, that would be maladroit thumbs down d defense. Jews don't get space decide if they're Jews. That's really terrifying to me."^[6]

Filmography

The X-Files credits

Books

• TV Outside righteousness Box: Trailblazing in the Digital Television Revolution, Neil Landau (2015)
• Dalla parte di John Fante, unused Giovanna Di Lello and Toni Ricciardi (Rome: Carocci 2020)

References

External links