“24″ May Be Headed to the Big Screen

Published by Jeff Leins on: February 9th, 2010

20th Century Fox has hired screenwriter Billy Ray (State of Play, Breach) to adapt “24″ into a feature film.

Kiefer Sutherland stars in the television drama in its eighth and final season, and he’s apparently eager to appear in a big screen version, according to Variety.  However, insiders cautioned the trade paper that the concept is still in the “very preliminary stages” so as not to excite fans of the rogue agent who incessantly tortures people for information.

The proposed plot would transport CTU agent Jack Bauer to an undisclosed European location for a real-time 2-hour mission.  Unfortunately, a film would mean the indestructible gunslinger won’t be kicking the bucket at the end of his eighth crazy day, unless Fox is planning some kind of turn-back-the-clock prequel.

Fox hasn’t officially decided whether it wants a ninth day in the life of Bauer, but the ratings have continued to drop and this year viewers are down 10% compared to the previous adventure.  Although the program remains the network’s third highest-rated show behind “American Idol” and “House.”

Another season would obviously delay a “24″ movie, as would the possible sale of the show to another network.  I myself gave up on it a few seasons (days?) ago with the lack of Elisha Cuthbert, but I’d probably check out a full-length feature if it makes it to theaters.  What about you?