Running from 2001-2010, the Fox action/drama 24 had a revolutionary concept: each episode of the show would take place in real time over the course of an hour, with each season comprising an entire day in the life of CTU agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) as he attempted to avert terrorist threats against the United States. The series was immensely popular and cultivated a group of hardcore fans; once the show went off the air, the gears began turning for 24 to transition into the world of motion pictures. But its two-year road to the silver screen has been rocky, to say the least, and back in March we reported that Fox was not going through with its spring start date due to budget concerns and Sutherland‘s busy schedule.
But, although 24 missed its start date, the star is still keeping hope for a movie adaptation alive. In an interview with CraveOnline, Sutherland hinted at production finally beginning next summer, after he wraps the second season of Touch. But this isn’t set in stone; although it’s obvious he wants to do it, his response to the idea of shooting next year was simply “I believe so, yeah,” which isn’t necessarily a proclamation so much as a hope. A non-committal “yes,” as it were. We know that Billy Ray and Mark Bomback have had varying degrees of input on the script, and, last we heard, Antoine Fuqua was next in line for the director’s chair — though certainly not confirmed. That latter aspect remains woefully up in the air.
Still, given the fact that 24 has been such a hassle to bring to the big screen, I wouldn’t be surprised if this changes once again; it’s obvious that Sutherland is dying to do this and I don’t blame him, but budgetary concerns still exist and, let’s face it: as the years go by, Jack Bauer becomes less and less relevant. He’s a character borne of post-9/11 fears and the desire to see someone kick terrorism right in the teeth, and as we move further past that mindset, he seems more antiquated.
That doesn’t mean 24 won’t end up a good movie or anything. Really, it just means that, if they don’t hit the summer 2013 start date like Sutherland sort of confirmed, I think it’ll be time for Fox to put an end to this Odyssey and move onto whatever sequel/prequel/adaptation they’re looking to exploit instead.
Do you think 24 will actually get made next year? More importantly, do you still want to see it happen?