For years, Kiefer Sutherland and company have been attempting to bring his American badass Jack Bauer, star of the Fox show 24, to the big screen, but recent internet rumblings suggest that the time for a film adaptation of the popular espionage thriller series may finally be at hand.
TVLine reports that a 24 movie has been steadily gathering steam over the past few weeks, likely buoyed by the critical and commercial success of the 12-episode miniseries 24: Live Another Day, which aired on Fox earlier this year. Imagine Entertainment chairman Brian Glazer is said to be “particularly keen” on a new pitch for the movie, which 20th Century Fox is expected to hear in the near future.
Perhaps it’s inevitable that a 24 movie is taking shape again. Sutherland has been gung-ho about the idea since the series’ initial run, and last winter, whilst promoting Live Another Day, he confirmed that, “The film’s an ongoing situation,” adding that, “There’s always an opportunity to do that.” With both Sutherland and Glazer working hard to mount a 24 movie, it seems very likely that one will be heading to theaters somewhere down the line.
At this point, Jack Bauer is a familiar name to TV audiences, and the series has achieved the kind of longevity on the small screen that should transitioning it to theaters a tantalizing opportunity for the studio. The only real obstacle preventing a movie is 24‘s newfound life on TV. Fox Networks Group Chairman CEO Peter Rice said in July:
“I loved this year’s season of 24. I’ve always been a fan. We haven’t had a specific conversation about it coming back yet, but I’m sure we will in the future. It’s a wonderful franchise. When you look at the show itself, it has many more stories to tell. I think we need to sit down and talk to the creators.”
If Fox wants to stick to the miniseries format, launching event series of 24 every few years, it might be a while yet until Jack Bauer graces the silver screen. We’ll likely know more soon, but now that another pitch is heading the studio’s way, the fate of the 24 movie is back in 20th Century Fox’s hands.
