Television doesn't get much more popular or action-packed than "24." Despite that, talks to create a "24" movie starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer have ultimately never bore fruit.
That could be changing soon if new rumors are to be believed.
According to TVLine.com, sources say that talks about reviving the idea of a "24" feature film have recently picked up. The site specifically points towards Imagine Entertainment being high on a feature-length Bauer adventure, saying that Imagine CEO Brian Grazer is "particularly keen" on the pitch. The pitch for the new film has yet to be brought before 20th Century Fox, which owns the rights to "24," and the company has so far declined to comment on the rumor.
"24" once again catapulted Bauer back into popular culture after eight seasons of espionage action with the recent success of the "24: Live Another Day" mini-series earlier this year. The success of Bauer's return may be why talks about a movie have been revived.
News of a "24" movie first came not long after the conclusion of the show's eight season in 2010, but production for the film stopped in March of 2012.
While talks of a new movie are encouraging, the success of "Live Another Day" may actually be more of a roadblock for a film to happen as opposed to a springboard. Fox will no doubt want to build on the success of "Live Another Day" with another "24" limited series, and that of course would mean a film would have to wait. Though another pseudo season of the show isn't confirmed, Fox Networks Group Chairman CEO Peter Rice has expressed interest.
"I loved this year's season of 24," Rice said in July. "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."
While the film has been dead in the water for years, talks about a "24" film have always continued to linger. Sutherland, while promoting "Live Another Day," maintained that the film wasn't 100 percent dead. "The film's an ongoing situation," he said. "There's always an opportunity to do that."
"Live Another Day" executive producer Jon Cassar also said that discussions about a film were still ongoing at Comic-Con in July.
