Big Finish recently shared a sample of their upcoming release in a new audio-drama series based on The Prisoner, but that's not what has fans buzzing around the spy network today. According to Deadline,director Ridley Scott is in talks with Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark of Bluegrass Films about bringing Patrick McGoohan's cult spy classic, The Prisoner, to the big screen. The project has been in the works at Universal for quite some time. I was discussing a film adaptation about eight years ago with screenwriter David Peoples (12 Monkeys, Unforgiven), who was then collaborating with Christopher Nolan. I gave David the homemade Prisoner episode guide I made during my childhood for inspiration, but sadly that project lost steam as Nolan moved on and another group was producing a TV mini series with Sir Ian McKellen. That TV version was completed, but with few memorable qualities and just a tad too many character cliches. Now that Ridley Scott is interested, perhaps the feature film will finally have its day. According to Deadline, scribes who picked up after David Peoples have been Christopher McQuarrie (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation) and, most recently, William Monahan (The Departed). I join my community in being cautiously optimistic. Of course, I'd love to see a cool update, especially as McGoohan's themes of individuality, freedom, and privacy are more important than ever. But I also wonder when people will just knuckle down and create new masterpieces instead of trying to mine the past for ideas. There have been some cool updated versions of properties made, to be sure, but our beloved 1960s spy world has been hit rather hard by poor re-makes with little vision. Maybe in the hands of a master filmmaker like Scott (who cut his teeth on 1960s shows like Z Cars and Adam Adamant Lives!), we will finally see the bar raised higher. Certainly the success and longevity of shows like The Prisoner and The Avengers can be attributed to originality and risk-taking, qualities that are often lacking in big-budget productions. My first bit of advice to the team would be to stay true to McGoohan's vision, which was summed up so well in his proclamation, "I am Not a Number!!" And if they can cast a Brit who can deliver the line with an equal amount of biting intensity, they might be half-way there. Stay tuned for updates as things develop. Happy Friday, Spy Vibers!
