"The Prisoner" Remake at Portmeirion
28/05/2008
Sources at ITV have confirmed that filming will take place in late summer to early autumn and no locations have been ruled in or ruled out. Patrick McGoohan is expected to make a cameo appearance.
"The Prisoner, which baffled millions of TV viewers in the 1960s with its complex plots, is being remade with U.S. actor Jim Caviezel in the title role. Currently filming in Libya, there’s a special guest appearance by the show’s original star Patrick McGoohan. And by luvvie’s luvvie Sir Ian ‘Serena’ McKellen." (16th April, 2008 - Daily Mail).
The ground breaking first series is widely acknowledged to be a television classic. It has been shown in many countries, dubbed into several languages (most notably into French) and has had an influence on several generations. It has been the subject of books, articles, documentaries, university courses and even featured in an episode of The Simpsons. Many well known actors took part in the series, alongside a large cast of extras who were recruited locally, many of whom worked at the Porthmadog telephone exchange. For more information on The Prisoner visit Six of One the official Prisoner appreciation society.
Portmeirion Village Managing Director Robin Llywelyn said "We have heard about a Prisoner remake off and on for the past ten or twelve years but nothing has come of it to date. In 1997 things seemed to be progressing and we had some correspondence with Mr McGoohan about a Hollywood blockbuster. Two years ago there was again speculation that Sky TV was working on a remake, but this again came to nothing. This time however it does sound more positive. As far as Portmeirion is concerned it is very good news. The Prisoner is an important part of Portmeirion's heritage and we are proud to be associated with the series. It brought the village to a wider audience and has brought people to Portmeirion who would never otherwise have heard of the place. Portmeirion would be delighted to be used as part of the location shoot, and we look forward with interest to future developments."
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