Ian McKellen to star in The Prisoner remake

Ian McKellen to star in The Prisoner remake (Image credit: PA Wire/PA Photos)

ITV says Sir Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel will star in the network's remake of 1960s classic cult thriller, The Prisoner. American film-star Caviezel will take the role of Number Six while McKellen will appear throughout the series as Number Two. The mysterious original Prisoner show was filmed in the resort of Portmeirion in North Wales - but ITV was not confirming where the new series will be shot. ITV Productions is co-producing the six-part series with Granada International and AMC, with a worldwide premiere slated for 2009. The Prisoner is the first project being launched as part of ITV's new co-production with US studios and networks. Sir Ian said of the new version: "It is witty, intelligent and disturbing. I am very excited to be involved." Patrick McGoohan created, produced, wrote and directed the original show and starred in the lead role of Number Six. The remake promises reflect 21st century concerns and anxieties, such as liberty, security and surveillance, while showcasing the same paranoia and tense action seen in McGoohan's enigmatic original. The six one-hour episodes tell the story of a man who finds himself trapped in a mysterious and surreal place known as The Village, with no memory of how he arrived.