The chances of a 24 movie haven’t looked so great over the last year. Between lack of any kind of firm update about the film’s prospects and the fact that Fox is set to air a limited series that will bring Jack Bauer and some of the other stars back for another hellish day, it was looking like the 24 movie was out of the picture. However, Kiefer Sutherland says that if the event series ended up rebooting the TV series or results in the movie happening, "so be it."
Last May, Fox confirmed that they were moving forward with 24: Live Another Day, a TV "event series" that would bring Kiefer Sutherland back to the role of the terrorist-fighting Jack Bauer, and that it would consist of 12 episodes, condensing the previous real-time format of the drama. Following months of casting updates -- Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kim Raver, William Devane among them -- Fox announced yesterday that the 24: Live Another Day will premiere on May 5 with a 2-hour episode, before settling into its one-hour format the following week. And that’s not the only update that came out of the TCA press tour.
THR says producers Howard Gordon, Evan Katz and Manny Coto stressed that if things go well for this year’s event series, the show could actually continue on TV. Sutherland went on to note that the rumored film isn’t off the table either, stating, "If this ends up rebooting the show and causes a film to be made, so be it." So it seems anything is possible at this point. And it may be a matter of how much interest there is in the limited series when it airs this Spring.
It’s great to hear this kind of optimism from Sutherland and the producers, especially considering how unlikely the film’s prospects seemed to be just last year. There’s been talk of a 24 movie for years, going back to 2010, right around when the FOX series was on the verge of wrapping up. But reported delays and budget concerns seemed to indicate that Jack Bauer’s big screen prospects weren’t good. And then Fox announced 24: Live Another Day, which would revive the series on the small screen.
Given how resilient Jack Bauer has proven to be, we probably should have known the series would have just as much chance of coming back to life as the CTU agent. And so it has, for at least one abridged season. But from the sound of it, one season could lead to another and possibly a movie. FOX and producers will likely want to wait to see how 24: Live Another Day does when it airs this May before making any long-term decisions about the future of the Jack Bauer franchise on the big or small screen. In the meantime, start working on your best "Damn it!" because Jack Bauer will be back on TV in a matter of months.
