Frank Spotnitz’s Big Light Productions Names Latest Writing Apprentice

Will Thorne Staff WriterFor a brief moment in mid-June, the producers of “Leonardo,” the upcoming big-budget series with Aidan Turner (“Poldark”) as the famed inventor, considered shooting the U.K.

The San Francisco International Film Festival, known as SFFILM, has named Jessie Fairbanks as its new director of programming. Fairbanks will oversee film and offscreen programming for both the SFFILM festival and the organization’s year-round offerings.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe San Francisco International Film Festival has announced that Jessie Fairbanks will join the organization, leading the festival, year-round offerings and off-screen programming.Fairbanks, who has worked with DOC NYC and Tribeca Film Festival, joins SFFILM on Jan. 25.The 2021 festival is scheduled for April 9-18.

EXCLUSIVE: Cricket Green and his now-urban family are coming back for more. Disney Channel has handed a Season 3 renewal to the toon comedy Big City Greens, and its creators Chris Houghton and Shane Houghton inked an overall deal with Disney Television Animation.

Ben Affleck. In early December, it was announced that the actor is on board to star in George Clooney’s next feature film adaptation of the book “The Tender Bar,” written by J. R. Moehringer.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItaly’s TorinoFilmLab, the international film and TV series incubator linked to the Torino Film Festival, is forging a French connection with an Alpine twist.The Torino lab, based in the Northern Italian city at the foothill of the Alps — and known in the indie community for supporting global talent and projects through a multitude of training and co-production programs — is teaming with the nearby Annecy Cinéma Italien fest to launch Alpi Film Lab, a

Ben Affleck is maybe working more now than ever before. Not only does he have two films expected to come out in 2021 (“The Last Duel” and “Deep Water”), but he’s also supposed to act in the upcoming Robert Rodriguez film, “Hypnotic,” and maybe direct a film about the making of “Chinatown.” But that’s not all.

Angelique Jackson Ben Affleck has added another adaptation to his growing directorial slate. Affleck and his Pearl Street Films production company are set to take on the bestselling book series “Keeper of the Lost Cities,” with Affleck on board to direct and produce the project for Disney.Based on Shannon Messenger’s novel, Affleck will adapt the project’s script with Kate Gritmon, while Madison Ainley serves as an executive producer.

Ben Affleck has teamed up with Disney for his next project.

Made In Chelsea star Amber Atherton is a pretty big deal right now. Yes, the 29 year old star, who was born in Hong Kong, may well be known for her stint on the popular reality show but it turns out she’s also doing big things in the tech world too.The beautiful star recently swapped the SW3 postcode for San Francisco after moving across the pond and it looks as though she’s loving life while there.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is under fire this week after a parolee on New Year's Eve allegedly ran through a red light in a stolen car, killing two pedestrians. Chesa Boudin became San Francisco’s top prosecutor a year ago as part of a politically progressive wave of prosecutors committed to seeking restorative justice over mass incarceration.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentSavaged by COVID-19, global box office plunged between 57% and 76% in major markets outside the U.S., with the U.K. and Ireland leading the rout, crashing 76% against 2019, according to a Comscore study, published Wednesday.Also hit hard were China (-70%), South Korea (-71%), and Italy and Spain (both down 72%).

Pierre Cardin, the fashion designer known for his space-age-informed 1960s dresses, has passed away in Neuilly, France at the age of 98. As well as his designs, Cardin is famous for being an early adapter of the licensing deals that are a mainstay of fashion houses today, putting his name and brand on products including fragrances, aeroplane interiors and sunglasses.

Sorry, “The Proposal” stans, it appears that the reunion between Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock isn’t meant to be.

French designer Pierre Cardin, whose futuristic space-inspired looks upended catwalk styles in the 1960s and 70s with futuristic looks, has died at the age of 98, France's Fine Arts Academy said in a statement on Twitter.   Cardin who was born in Italy in 1922 but emigrated to France as a small child, died in a hospital in Neuilly in the west of Paris, his family said.