Sure sign that you’re a smash-hit as a Hollywood director: people start analyzing every move you make. A lot of bloggers have been doing just that to Chris Nolan, ever since the first doubts arose about the acclaimed director returning to the Batman franchise after The Dark Knight.

When Nolan announced that his next film after Dark Knight was going to be the sci-fi thriller Inception, people were like, “Ok, he wants to do something non-Batman for a minute, that’s cool.” However, when word started circling that Nolan was also eyeing a big-screen adaptation of the 60s TV series The Prsioner, people started getting worried that Batman 3 was either a long way off or that the film was moving ahead without Nolan.

Now comes word that Christopher Nolan has left the The Prisoner, leading people to immediately jump to the conclusion that Batman 3 is the reason.

When a TV mini-series stars both Jesus Christ and Gandalf you have to have sit up and take notice.

When it’s also based on an iconic television series it becomes “must see TV.”

Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellen will star in a “re-imagining” of the late Patrick McGoohan’s The Prisioner for AMC.

The new production would appear to have a slick modern sheen, but it seems to lack the odd twisted sixties drug trip vibe of the original British series.

2009 brings its first cinematic and television casualty. Patrick McGoohan of The Prisoner and Danger Man fame has passed away at the age of 80 years old.

McGoohan died following a short illness at his Los Angeles home.