Ridley Scott is riding high thanks to the wide-reaching success of The Martian (including a win at this year’s Golden Globes), and he’ll certainly be experiencing another box office blessing when Alien: Covenant comes around. But what’s in store for the director after that?
News is that Scott is planning to direct a feature film adaptation of The Prisoner, a cult classic ’60s TV series that became a huge inspiration for shows like Lost and was even the subject of an Iron Maiden song.
The Prisoner centers around an unnamed protagonist — given the designation “Number 6” — who plans to leave behind his career in secret intelligence, but is kidnapped and imprisoned in a mysterious place called The Village. Unable to escape from the idyllic prison, Number 6 constantly tries to find out who captured him, why he was taken, and exactly who he is. It’s a wickedly oddball gem of a show that has tons of rewatchability thanks to its frantic pacing and swinging sci-fi setting.
There was a miniseries remake of the series done on AMC back in 2009 starring Sir Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel, but other than a fantastic production design and inspired casting, that iteration of The Prisoner lacked the more nutty charm of the original.
The original show is also extremely British… in the best of ways. So Scott makes a lot of sense in the director’s chair for this. He’ll also undoubtedly bring a large budget and exorbitant setting to this new take on The Village and that alone is reason enough to get excited by the prospect.
We’re still a ways out from The Prisoner, but Scott is one of our most tireless filmmakers and I wouldn’t be surprised if we start hearing some more news about this in the coming months as production on Alien: Covenant gets underway.
Be seeing you!
