Well, it’s official: Ian McKellen has completed the ultimate nerd trifecta, playing Gandalf, Magneto and now Number Two:
AMC announced today that acclaimed film actors Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, The Thin Red Line) and Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings, The Da Vinci Code) have signed on for the network’s reinterpretation of the highly influential 1960s cult classic, The Prisoner. AMC is co-producing the six-part mini-series with ITV Productions and Granada International, with a worldwide premiere slated for 2009. The Prisoner, AMC’s second original mini-series, combines a wide range of genres, including espionage, thriller and scifi, into a unique and compelling drama, and expands upon the network’s distinctive cinematic approach to creating high-quality programming.
Setting aside the fact that this is just dumb, we’ll still watch McKellen in the role originated by Leo McKern, because we’ll watch Sir Ian in anything. We’re a bit dissappointed that Cavaziel was cast as The Prisoner, though, because early reports had Christopher Eccleston in the role, and then the show could have been about an actor who is taken to a remote location to be questioned on why he resigned from a popular SF show. That would have been great!
EDIT TO ADD: Yes yes, we know there was a different Number Two in almost every episode, but it’s OBVIOUS that McKellen is going to play the McKern Number Two, now isn’t it?
I like Jim Caviezel and will watch it now, probably because he’s in it.
Different strokes for different folks.
A show about a guy trying to escape a locale filled with surrealism, secrets, and mystery, run by an pseudogovernmental agency? It will never sell.
as for who is Number One, isn’t it all Eats Shoots And Leaves?
Ah, if only Leo McKern had always been number 2. But he’ll always be number 1 in our hearts! Anyway, get your geek on properly! Thunderball’s Count Lippe – Guy Doleman – was the first number 2, but you would hardly say he originated the role like you would with a stage part. So there!
If someone hasn’t already created a PRISONER parody of Christopher Eccleston’s departure from DOCTOR WHO after only one season/series, they damn well should. I’ll write the script if someone has the time and ability to film it.
Oh, and Leo McKern didn’t originate the role of Number Two. George Baker did, but McKern is the most well-known Number Two since he appeared in three of the seventeen episodes.
Number Two isn’t a “role”, though. It’s a job title which various different characters held during the series.
All jokes aside, I think Eccleston would have been a better choice for Number 6. Caviezel may be prettier, but Eccleston can bring the kind of “screw you” vibe that made McGoohan’s character so interesting.
Number 6 is Jesus?
Actually, given the Christ-figure imagery in the original, yes.
I think they were going for more of a Krishna figure there.
I wanna see Rover.
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Coat
A shame they’re doing this, as The Prisoner has actually aged quite well in my opinion.
Also, the subtext is missing from casting Jesus as No. 6. There was such a rich metatext to the series having Patrick McGoohan do this as an unofficial sequel to Danger Man.
Perhaps Matt Damon or some other recently former spy of cinema would have been better.
A quand sa diffusion en france. Jim on ne vous voit presque chez nous en France.
I want to see this serie in France. Sorry but english is very bad.