Film 24

There was a time when mere speculation about a 24 movie would get me jiggling in my seat and grinning like a loon, but I'm having trouble getting excited by news a 24 film's actively being developed now. Maybe it's because the idea has been left to percolate for five years already, so it feel like it's been stuck in "conceptual hell" for too long. But then there's the fact 24's no longer the sleek, agile, shocking, gripping action-adventure series it was in its first five seasons. Sure, season 7 repaired the damage done by the season 6 debacle, but the current eighth season just feels over familiar and, strangely, less of a successful "revamp" (despite a relocation to NYC, new characters, and a brand new CTU set.)

Anyway, they've already hired Billy Ray (Breach) as screenwriter for 24: The Movie, which is a promising sign. I mean, they could very easily have just given some of the TV show's many writers a promotion to mastermind the big-screen version, which was what most people assumed would happen. But hiring someone from outside of the 24 "family" should bring a fresh perspective to things. Ray has form writing political thrillers (State Of Play), dumb action (Volcano), corporate drama (Shattered Glass) and a tense mystery (Flightplan), and 24 is essentially a mix of all those things.

It also sounds likely they're going to send Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) to Europe for his cinematic debut, as has been rumoured for years, which still sounds like a great idea. It's a traditional playground for espionage movies, it's feasible to get to many different countries in a relatively short span of time (America's so massive the longest distance Jack ever covered was L.A to Mexico, which ate up too much time.) I confidently predict a lot of the action will take place in London, too. It's just a gut feeling based on what Sutherland's said in countless interviews.

Of course, the big question has always been: will 24 translate to a movie? The show's primary selling point has been the "real time" format (that 24 episodes equal 24 hours in Jack's life), which will obviously be impossible to replicate in film. They appear to have two options open to them: (1) Tell a story that takes place over exactly 24-hours, but forget about the real-time element and just include lots of countdowns and ticking clocks to crank up tension; (2) ignore the relevance of 24 as a title and tell a story in strict real time that lasts two hours, a la the 24: Redemption special. The latter may limit what kind of story they tell, though -- as even a trip from London to Paris on the Chunnel would eat too much time (unless a significant part of the plot took place on the train), so I'll assume they'll either ditch the real time element entirely, or possibly the second half of the movie will dovetail into real time after an hour's setup?

Anyway, this is pure speculation on my part. I think the larger issue is: do people care enough about 24 to make this a hit? Well, yes -- the prospect of a big-budget action film with Jack Bauer still has its appeal, no matter how strained and repetitive his small-screen adventures have become in recent years. It may also attract audiences who haven't even seen the TV series, because Kiefer Sutherland starring in a good action thriller has its own appeal, and 24's concept needs no big explanations.

Still, I hope there's a sizeable gap between the TV series ending (well, we assume it'll end...) and the film hitting cinemas. Part of the reason why season 7 did well was because fans had been starved of 24 for over 18 months, wasn't it?

How do you feel about Jack Bauer belatedly hitting the big screen? Is it five years too late, or the best way to keep the flame alight?