Summary
A movie reboot of Kiefer Sutherland’s classic thriller series24is being developed at 20th Century, which sounds great, as long as it meets one condition.The proposed movie will be the second24feature film, following 2008’s24: Redemption, which sentKiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauerto Africa. In 2014, Jack Bauer’s story appeared to come to an end when he turned himself in to Russian authorities at the climax of24: Live Another Day. 10 years later, and the development of a24movie could signal Kiefer Sutherland’s long-awaited return to his best-loved role.
At this early stage,it appears that24’s new movie is being developed for a theatrical release, rather than as a Disney+ streaming-exclusive. Imagine Entertainment co-founder Brian Grazer teased that the24movie rebootwill be done “in a very interesting way with Disney and Fox.” Whether Grazer is talking about how they’ll adapt24’s real-time format for a feature film, or a groundbreaking release strategy remains to be seen. However, regardless of how the24movie is structured or released, the only thing that matters is who leads it, and there’s only one man for the job.
Kiefer Sutherland’s 24 Replacement Failed To Replicate The Best Thing About His Jack Bauer Role
Kiefer Sutherland’s role as Jack Bauer in Fox’s 24 was universally praised, but Sutherland’s follow-up failed to recapture the magic of this defining role.
The Upcoming 24 Movie Can Only Work With Kiefer Sutherland As Jack Bauer
A 24 movie can’t rely on its real-time format as a hook.
Stripped of its initial selling point - unless it has a 24-hour runtime - the in-development24movie can only work with Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer. When it premiered in 2001,24was being sold as a real-time thriller series, with each episode depicting an hour in an incredibly stressful dayfor counter-terrorist operative Jack Bauer. However, Kiefer Sutherland’s maverick secret agent quickly overshadowed the format to become24’s central focus. Therefore,resurrecting an IP like24in the 2020s could only work if Kiefer Sutherland is brought on board as the lead.
…relaunching24as a movie franchisewithoutKiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer feels like the sort of risk that studios and streamers would prefer to avoid.
Brian Grazer, Disney and Twentieth Century are clearly hoping that a24movie could cash in on the current nostalgia boom. In hisSquawk Boxinterview, Grazer highlights how IPs like24are “very important” for “risk averse” studios and streamers. With that in mind, relaunching24as a movie franchisewithoutKiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer feels like the sort of risk that studios and streamers would prefer to avoid.
24 Already Struggled To Replace Jack Bauer Once Before
Eric Carter was a worthy successor but was let down by franchise fatigue.
24failed to replace Jack Bauer once before, in the event miniseries24: Legacy, starring Corey Hawkins as Eric Carter.Legacywas a 12-episode series that centered on Carter, an ex-US Army Ranger, whose unit became embroiled in a terrorist plot to activate American sleeper agents. Corey Hawkins was a compelling lead, and felt like a refreshing call back to when Jack Bauer was a struggling family man, rather than a counter-terrorist superhero. The main issue with Eric Carter as aJack Bauer replacementwas that Kiefer Sutherland had only left24three years earlier.
24: Legacysaw Carlos Bernard reprise the role of disgraced CTU agent, Tony Almeida.
Releasing24: Legacyin 2017 was a bad idea because, as the tenth24series in 16 years, it’s very hard to escape franchise fatigue. Now that it’s been 7 years since24: Legacy, and 10 years since Jack Bauer signed off for the last time, it’s a more promising time for a comeback. Rebooting24as a movie franchise could work if it’s Kiefer Sutherland reprising the role of Jack Bauer. Coupling the nostalgia for Bauer’s early 2000s heyday with a fresh cast of characters could really revitalize the series for a new generation.
