24 Movie in Early Development — Will Kiefer Sutherland Return?

The following may soon take place in a theater near you.

Variety reports that a movie based on the hit Fox series 24, the “real-time” action drama created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, is in early development at 20th Century Studios. 24 starred Kiefer Sutherland as federal agent Jack Bauer from 2001 to 2014.

It is not yet known whether Sutherland will appear in the upcoming movie.

Imagine Entertainment cofounder Brian Grazer teased the possibility of a 24 movie during a June appearance on MSNBC’s Squawk Box.

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“Imagine has always played in that zone where there is that high probability chance that it will be successful in movie theaters,” Grazer said. “It’s great for us, because we’ve built, over 30 years, over 100 different products and brands, whether it’s ‘Backdraft,’ which I’m now going to do today with Glen Powell, or whether it’s ’24,’ a movie that we’re going to do in a very interesting way with Disney and Fox.”

Rumors of a 24 feature film date back to when the series was still airing, and the franchise has broken from the 24-episode format several times in its history. Most notably, a two-hour TV movie titled 24: Redemption aired between seasons 6 and 7 as a way to bridge the year-long delay during the 2007-08 Writer’s Guild of America strike.

Whenever rumors of a 24 movie have surfaced, questions soon followed about its format, since a two-hour window doesn’t exactly lend itself to a real-time story. 24: Redemption was able to build its story around a real-time, two-hour crisis taking place simultaneously in the United States and the fictional country of Sangala. The series used 12-hour time jumps, however, in its final season, 24: Live Another Day, and in the 2017 spinoff series 24: Legacy, to account for a half-length season. It’s possible that a 24 movie could do something similar.

During its original run, 24 was known for its unpredictable twists, relentlessly killing off key characters and cliffhangers that always conveniently took place in the 59th minute of the hour.

It also faced controversy, both for its depiction of torture and its portrayal of the Islamic community. The series premiere was originally delayed due to 9/11, and the show’s prime years occurred while Islamophobia and torture were both hot-button political issues in the United States.

As the 24 movie’s development continues, speculation is sure to arise about a potential cast. In addition to Sutherland, 24 starred Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O’Brian. She had the longest continuous run as a regular on the show after Sutherland, joining the cast in season 3. Carlos Bernard reprised his role as Tony Almeida for an appearance in 24: Legacy — the only character from the main franchise to appear.