Summary
- Christopher Nolan is reportedly considering remaking the 1960s sci-fi TV show
The Prisoner
as a movie, conforming to his typical genres. - Nolan might consider actors he has worked with before, such as Robert Pattison or John David Washington, for the James Bond-like main character.
- Nolan might cast new or returning actors, such as Michael Caine, Vanessa Kirby, or Aaron Taylor-Johnson, in supporting and/or antagonistic roles.
Casting Christopher Nolan’s possible movie remake of the 1960s TV show The Prisoner is key to its success. Yet Nolan has previously worked with several actors who would be perfect for major roles. Additionally, Nolan’s status as a director will always attract Hollywood’s biggest stars, despite some never having worked with Nolan before. The British TV show The Prisoner follows a James Bond-like character trapped in a strange, psychedelic Village, leading to a battle of wits as he tries to escape, and his captors try to extract information from him.
A history of action and espionage movies has led to broad speculation that Nolan might direct Bond 26, but The Prisoner is his more likely project at this point. Some of Nolan’s past stars have the potential to lead his movie remake of The Prisoner as the secret agent protagonist, known as “Number Six.” Additionally, Nolan’s remake may involve expanding the roles of some characters or creating new ones within the sci-fi world of the original show. Nonetheless, many actors at his disposal are suited to different character archetypes common in the sci-fi, mystery, and action genres.
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10 Robert Pattinson
Known for Tenet (2020) and The Batman (2022).
Robert Pattinson is a strong contender to play Number Six, given the nature of his only role in a Nolan movie to date. While Nolan’s new movie has people worried Tenet 2 won’t happen, fans of the underrated time-travel adventure would be thrilled to see Pattinson work with the great director again. In Tenet, Pattinson plays Neil, a friendly and mysterious agent who is one of the Protagonist’s main allies.
Neil’s persona is perhaps more charming and optimistic than Nolan wants Number Six to be if he is recreating the character closer to what he is in the original show. However, Pattinson is certainly capable of playing a more serious action hero. Finding time to star in Nolan’s new remake might be a challenge for Pattinson, as he is currently making a name for himself as the newest iteration of Batman. Nonetheless, Pattinson’s experiences playing Neil and Bruce Wayne make him more than qualified to star in Nolan’s The Prisoner.
9 Emily Blunt
Known for Edge of Tomorrow (2014) and Oppenheimer (2023).
As a TV show that was made in the 1960s, the female characters in The Prisoner are scattered and their roles are brief. Some one-off but memorable characters include several different women who try to help Number Six escape and a female scientist (Number Fourteen) who helps the people running the Village try to manipulate information out of Number Six. Many of these characters have a femme fatale-type characterization, but Nolan might choose to take their arcs in a different direction.
Emily Blunt’s recent foray into Nolan filmmaking won her an Oscar nomination for playing the shrewd Kitty Oppenheimer. Blunt is not known for villainous roles, but doubtlessly has the talent to play a more malevolent character, such as Number Fourteen. However, she could also play a mysterious woman who knows much more than she lets on when she comes across Number Six.
8 Michael Caine
Known for The Dark Knight (2008) and Inception (2010).
Casting Caine in a different role could be an effective way to make Nolan’s next movie different from his others.
Michael Caine has regularly collaborated with Nolan since he became a fan-favorite version of Alfred in the Dark Knight trilogy. Caine plays similar characters throughout his Nolan movies: a kindly advising figure to the main character who provides some kind of logistical support. In Inception, Caine plays Cobb’s father-in-law, who cares for Cobb’s children while their father is on the run. Caine’s Tenet character Sir Michael Crosby’s role is so brief that it was apparently easier to call him by his real name and title.
Casting Caine in a different role could be an effective way to make Nolan’s next movie different from his others. A possible role for Caine is Number Two, the antagonistic secondary leader of the Village, who puts on an amicable and wise facade for Number Six. There are also multiple Number Twos; the idea of Caine and other returning Nolan actors all playing the character is a given.
7 Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Known for Kick-Ass (2010) and Tenet (2020).
Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the significant role of Ives in Tenet, although his character is overshadowed by those of Robert Pattinson and John David Washington. However, Taylor-Johnson’s potential to work with Nolan again in the future is obvious. From his tragically brief role in the MCU to his recurring lead role in the Kick-Ass movies, Taylor-Johnson is an underappreciated but talented action star. He still has significant versatility as an actor, starring in dramas such as Anna Karenina. This experience is vital, as Nolan’s movies are never just meaningless action.
Additionally, rumors of Taylor-Johnson’s casting as James Bond combined with speculation about Nolan directing a Bond movie make the casting even more obvious. Still, Nolan’s movies and The Prisoner both feature some of the hallmarks of a Bond movie. Taylor-Johnson returning to work with Nolan in the lead role would be beneficial to both the actor’s career and the movie.
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6 Ana de Armas
Known for Knives Out (2019) and No Time to Die (2021).
A massive up-and-coming star of the past few years, Ana de Armas has proven that she is perfect for mysteries, sci-fi, espionage, and general action. After achieving her breakthrough with Blade Runner 2049, de Armas gained even more attention with the razor-sharp whodunit of Knives Out, which in turn led to her being invited to appear in No Time to Die, due to her working relationship with Daniel Craig. In the middle of all this, she also scored an Oscar nomination for the Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde.
De Armas’ casting in the John Wick spinoff Ballerina illustrates that she is in demand. Working around her schedule might be difficult, but Nolan would be mistaken not to consider her for any role in a sci-fi or espionage movie. De Armas also has a great on-screen dynamic with Daniel Craig and has presumably filmed some scenes with Keanu Reeves; it would be interesting to see what she could do when paired with one of Nolan’s favorite stars.
5 Morgan Freeman
Known for The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Dark Knight (2008).
Morgan Freeman is another possible choice for one of the Number Twos, and like with Michael Caine, would represent a break in the pattern of how Nolan usually casts him. Freeman only plays Lucius Fox in the Dark Knight trilogy, with no other collaborations with Nolan. Like Alfred, Lucius is a generally amicable ally to Bruce; however, he opposes Bruce’s plans at some key moments.
Freeman could also play a very interesting version of Number Two, or another important figure in the Village’s administration. Additionally, audiences have only really seen a significant number of interactions between Freeman and either Caine or Christian Bale in a Nolan movie. Writing scenes between Freeman and a new or returning actor is rife with the possibility of engaging and intelligent dialogue that elevates the movie’s philosophical discourse.
4 Vanessa Kirby
Known for Pieces of a Woman (2020) and The Crown (2016-2023).
Vanessa Kirby also has the potential to play a reinvented version of one of Number Six’s allies, who has more agency and is not just a damsel in distress. Kirby was launched to fame by playing the chaotic and lonely Princess Margaret in The Crown and soon after won her first Oscar nomination for the heartbreaking drama Pieces of a Woman. However, she is also a favorite for action movies, evidenced by her role in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw and her being cast as Sue Storm in the MCU’s upcoming Fantastic Four movie.
Kirby can play a nuanced action heroine who is intense, enigmatic, and combat-savvy. While the original show does not place the female characters in the middle of action-heavy scenes, Nolan can always change this. The Prisoner suggests that everyone in the Village is there because they have valuable information; one of the female characters could be rewritten as another former secret agent like Number Six who is always prepared for a fight.
3 Carrie-Anne Moss
Known for The Matrix (1999) and Memento (2000).
Carrie-Anne Moss is among the actors Nolan has only directed once, starring alongside Guy Pearce in Memento. As a long-time veteran of the sci-fi genre, it might be more impactful to cast her as one of the characters who has more control in the world of the village. Moss could play Number Fourteen, or another version of Number Two.
Additionally, there is one strange scene where Number Six wakes up in a hospital and finds an old woman sitting near him knitting. While the character concept does not need to be exactly the same, Moss could still play a character who just happens to be present in one scene and says something seemingly inconsequential to Number Six. It has been so long since Moss worked with Nolan that it would generally be interesting to see how he would use her now, with 20 more years of filmmaking experience under his belt.
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2 John David Washington
Known for BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Tenet (2020).
Washington has a strangely varied filmography that should make him interesting to any director.
John David Washington is also a real possibility for a Bond-style character, as “the Protagonist” of Tenet gives the impression of being an early career James Bond who is still establishing himself in the intelligence community. Washington has a strangely varied filmography that should make him interesting to any director. He has starred in satires, actions, mysteries, and comedies, and worked with acclaimed directors, including David O. Russell and Spike Lee.
Nolan’s version of The Prisoner — which, like Tenet, never names its main character — could realistically expand the character of Number Six, elaborating upon his past and motivations in a way the original doesn’t. Washington can play a variety of different complex characters and has the presence of a leading actor. As he has also not worked with Nolan since Tenet, it would be great to see what could come of another collaboration.
1 Cillian Murphy
Known for Inception (2010) and Oppenheimer (2023).
Of course, Nolan will most likely at least consider recent Oscar winner Cillian Murphy for a role in his next movie. Another repeat collaborator, Murphy has played a variety of heroes and villains in Nolan’s movies. He doesn’t seem like a Number Six type actor, having previously been passed over for the role of Batman. Of being invited to screen test for Batman, Murphy said (via PEOPLE): “[…] I think I knew — and he [Nolan] knew — I was wrong for [the role]. But I did the test, and then he saw something in that and cast me as Scarecrow and we continued on making movies.”
Nolan has used Murphy’s ability to play psychologically complex characters caught in the middle of one moral or personal dilemma or another in several movies. Muprhy is a compelling villain in the Dark Knight trilogy and a minor but vital part of the story of Inception. Murphy’s potential to play almost any character in The Prisoner other than Number Six should not be ignored. Regardless, Christopher Nolan has made it as a director because he knows how to find the perfect cast, and will consider all the possibilities as he begins a new project.
Source: PEOPLE
