Nearly seven months after the conclusion of the hit series “24,” fans of Kiefer Sutherland’s indestructible Jack Bauer are still waiting for confirmation of its cinematic continuation.
20th Century Fox hired screenwriter Billy Ray (Breach, State of Play) to adapt the show into a movie in February 2010 before a hush fell over the project and we heard only the plinking sound of a digital clock ticking. Well, “24″ fans will have to wait longer.
Entertainment Weekly learned that Fox rejected Ray’s script that would have continued the storyline on the silver screen. “As far as I know, it is in suspended animation,” said Howard Gordon, producer of the series and its slow-moving spin-off. However, while Ray’s take may be doomed to the archives, Unstoppable director Tony Scott has expressed interest and could meet with Sutherland to discuss his idea.
Gordon expanded on this in an interview with Assignment X by saying, “It wasn’t strong enough or compelling enough to the studio obviously to move ahead with it.” Perhaps Fox wants to wait until the show is 25 years old before revisiting it, like The A-Team.
In an interview last April, Sutherland said the movie will not utilize the real time gimmick of the series, which will allow Jack Bauer to explore areas outside of CTU’s circle of ineptitude. It also means we won’t see Bauer yell, “We don’t have time!” if the movie ever happens. I imagine a more leisurely, relaxed Jack Bauer strolling about, sipping cocktails on a plane to a foreign location, and just generally taking his sweet time.
Gordon is working on a Showtime series called “Homeland,” starring Damian Lewis and Claire Danes, about a prisoner of war (Lewis) who returns home to a hero’s welcome, a distant family, and a CIA officer (Danes) who suspects he was flipped to the terrorist’s side.
