AMC is billing The Prisoner, which shot in South Africa and Namibia with Out of Africa Entertainment, as “the biggest television event of the year” ahead of its November 2009 release.

A co-production between ITV and AMC with Granada International, the remake of the cult ‘60s science fiction stars Ian McKellen (Gandalf in Lord of the Rings) as Two and Jim Caviezel (Jesus in Passion of the Christ) as Six. The Prisoner is written by Bill Gallagher (Conviction) and directed by Nick Hurran (Little Black Book).

In his first TV series, Jim plays a man, known as Six, who finds himself inexplicably trapped in The Village, with no memory of how he arrived. As he explores his environment, he discovers that his fellow inhabitants are identified by number instead of name, have no memory of any prior existence, and are under constant surveillance.

Not knowing whom to trust, Six is driven by the need to discover the truth behind The Village, the reason for his being there, and - most importantly - how he can escape.

Both leads had surreal experiences in South Africa based on their best-known roles. Out of Africa’s Lance Samuels explains, “When Jim arrived at Cape Town International Airport and went through passport control, the official behind the counter said: ‘Oh my God, it’s Jesus Christ,’ and dropped down and kissed his feet, then told his friend that Jesus Christ had come to Cape Town, true story.” When shooting at the Bijou Theatre in Observatory, Ian must have been equally surprised to discover nearby clubs called Gandalf’s and Mordor.

As he aptly describes in his blog, “Opposite the Bijou is a bar for Goths and young punks who have misplaced their ID. No questions asked at Gandalf's. There was a sketchy portrait of him hanging outside. Just up the street was Mordor, which is a perverse name for a club where you might hope to enjoy yourself.”

Jessica Haines, who shone opposite John Malkovich in Disgrace, stands out again in The Prisoner as 554. “She has a huge amount of potential,” says Lance. “Jessica also worked with us on The Bang Bang Club and she continues to impress with every role she plays.”

The series also features BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated actress Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre), Hayley Atwell (The Duchess), Lennie James (Jericho) and Jamie Campbell- Bower (Sweeney Todd). Out of Africa shot all The Village’s exteriors in Namibia and the interiors in Cape Town, which also doubled as New York. Producer Trevor Hopkins says, “The aesthetic had to be a little strange. While looking for this inherent strangeness, we came upon Swakopmund in Namibia, a town in a time warp – from the last century with a bit of the 50s and 60s placed on top of it.”

Ian adds, “Swakopmund has the feel of a prison: the mighty Atlantic on one side and the massive desert on the other, with buildings that look familiar but are strange because they’re a colonial German relic in Africa.” ITV asked Lance to pitch on the project after looking at Australia and Mexico as other possibilities.

“The locations Namibia and South Africa could offer for The Village were better than anywhere else in the world,” Lance says, pointing out that South Africa was also the best value for money as a destination, especially with The Department of Trade and Industry’s 15% rebate for foreign productions. “The dti rebate was a huge deciding factor in bringing the miniseries to South Africa,” Lance says.

The project changed directors shortly after beginning shooting. Ian explains, “After a few days filming, there had been a disagreement over the look of The Village and the style of its presentation on screen.”

Jon Jones, the original director, was replaced by Nick Hurran, who Ian met on his flight out. “He is an easy man to like and we bonded as we journeyed together into the unexpected. I didn’t envy his having to spring into action, as onto a seesaw of being sympathetic to decisions already made and yet insistent that changes were necessary. He seemed excited and apprehensive simultaneously, but I reassured him that coming to the rescue was an honourable part to play.”

ITV is only expected to release The Prisoner in 2010.

For more information or to watch the original series online, click here.

Click here to watch the fantastic nine minute preview trailer.

Kevin Kriedemann