We’re kind of surprised this didn’t happen sooner as the premise seems ripe for a big screen outing, but it appears that writer/director Billy Ray (“Shattered Glass,” “Breach”) is in talks to write a screenplay for “24” based on his own pitch. However, the decision on whether or not to actually make the film hasn’t been made, and the series writers are pushing for an answer as they are currently writing the last couple of episodes for the current season and need to know whether or not the finale will tie into the feature or not.
Star Kiefer Sutherland has previously said he’d love to do a movie, and even thinks it could run concurrently with the TV show, “I actually tried to convince a few people of this. In a media world that is changing unbelievably fast, a television series can either act as a great trailer for a film, or a film can act as a great trailer for a television series. And I think the first person who actually does that is going to change the way television interacts with feature films.” Of course, “24” is already firmly established so we could see it happening too, but Sutherland doesn’t have to look further than the network’s scuttled “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” to see how even the most identifiable brands can be bankrupted.
While this writer and at least one or two other Playlisters have somehow gone without seeing an episode of “24” (though we hear the latter seasons have taken a considerable dive in quality), we do think the show could make smart and fun multiplex popcorn entertainment. We’re pretty thrilled Ray has been tapped to pen the screenplay as it indicates Fox is thinking the same thing, and we have no doubt that they’re probably eyeing this as franchise type material.