Six-Part Mini-Series Set to Debut in 2009
NEW YORK, NY – August 11, 2008 – AMC announced the start of production today on its reinterpretation of the 1960s cult classic The Prisoner, on location in Namibia and South Africa. AMC is co-producing the six-part mini-series with ITV Productions and Granada International, with a worldwide premiere in 2009.
"AMC is embarking on the production of an epic reinterpretation of the 1960s classic, The Prisoner. It’s a landmark series that is intensely personal to so many of us in our industry who grew up obsessed with, mesmerized by and revering the original," said Vlad Wolynetz, VP of production, series and movies for AMC. "The Prisoner is blessed with a tremendous cast and crew and the landscapes of Namibia and South Africa will provide an utterly otherworldly backdrop for this enigmatic series."
The Prisoner, AMC’s second original mini-series, combines a wide range of genres, including espionage, thriller and Sci-Fi, into a unique and compelling drama and expands upon the network’s distinctive cinematic approach to creating high-quality programming. The mini-series stars Jim Caviezel in the title role of Number Six; two-time Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Number Two; Ruth Wilson in the role of Number 313; Hayley Atwell as Number 41-5; Lennie James as Number 147; and Jamie Campbell-Bower as Number 11-12.
While the original series, which debuted in 1967, was a riff on Cold War politics, AMC’s reinterpretation will reflect 21st Century concerns and anxieties, such as liberty, security and surveillance, yet also showcase the same key elements of paranoia, tense action and socio-political commentary seen in Patrick McGoohan’s original.
The Prisoner mini-series is a co-production of AMC and ITV Productions; the deal was brokered by Granada International, which holds international distribution rights. Bill Gallagher (Conviction, Clocking Off, Lark Rise To Candleford) serves as writer and executive producer, along with Michele Buck, Damien Timmer, Rebecca Keane, and AMC’s Charlie Collier, Christina Wayne and Vlad Wolynetz. It is produced by Trevor Hopkins (Dracula, Poirot), and directed by Jon Jones (Northanger Abbey, Cold Feet).
About AMC
AMC is a multi-platform network that celebrates classic movies and high-quality scripted series. Among the elite services available in nearly 93 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC defines what it means to be a classic movie network today, creating a distinctive viewing experience that celebrates all that is enduringly cool, personal and powerfully relevant about movies. AMC’s comprehensive library of popular movies strike a meaningful chord with its audience, and its critically-acclaimed slate of originals all have a cinematic quality that allow them to complement and be complemented by some of the best movies of all time. AMC is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, which includes sister networks IFC, WE tv and Sundance Channel. AMC is THE FUTURE OF CLASSIC.