Fox have revealed that next summer's revival of 24 for a twelve-episode "event series", will find Jack Bauer as a fugitive in Europe.
Kiefer Sutherland, star and executive-producer, commented that "24 has always had such a global sensibility. But to be able to tell this intense 24-style story with the beauty of Europe's history and architecture as the backdrop is going to be fascinating. Hopefully, by the time you’re finished watching an episode, you'll feel like you've been there...on the edge of your seat."
Showrunner Evan Katz added that the writers "wanted the show's return to be an event, and part of that was putting Jack in a very different context. Four years ago, we left Jack a fugitive from justice and we're going to pick him up four years later in London."
Katz's co-showrunner Manny Coto concluded that "Jack is soon back on the run and it takes us into the streets of London and in places that break new ground for the show. We've shot in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Cape Town--but now we're in London and Jack's loose on the streets of Europe, hunted by and hunting bad guys."
This makes a lot of sense. One of the long-rumoured ideas for a 24 movie was relocating Jack to London, given its significance as a global intelligence centre. It also means he could reach other counties in an hour of two of "real time", and it's already been confirmed this new twelve-part series will occasionally skip hours. My guess is that Jack's going to board a plane to Eastern Europe at some point, or just the Channel Tunnel to France, as the plot widens into Europe. Who else thinks the whole thing's going to remind us of the Taken movies, which themselves owe a huge debt to 24?
Anyway, this sounds like a good idea to me. I'm sure London will be a more exciting setting than the last time the production went overseas for 2008's crappy 24: Redemption telemovie in South Africa. Do you agree? Or do you think 24 will lose something if it's not set in the US?
The press release obviously reveals that Evan Katz and Manny Coto are running Live Another Day, and if you aren't already aware they're bringing back Mary Lynn Rajscub as Chloe and Kim Raver as Jack's ex-girlfriend Audrey. Update 04/10/13: William Devane (who played Audrey's father, the Secretary of Defence) has also been announced as returning.
[source: Facebook]
