The "24" Film Makes Some Progress

Twentieth Century Fox's film and TV studios are conspiring to finally bring hit television series "24" to the bigscreen, reports Variety.

According to Variety: Billy Ray ("Shattered Glass," "Breach") has been hired to pen the script for a potential feature film based on hit Fox series "24."

Ray delivered a pitch, which puts Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) in Europe. Sutherland himself was key to bringing in Ray's cinematic take on the series.

The catch, of course, is when it would happen as various factors--most notably the fate of the TV series, which currently is one-third of the way through airing its eighth season--will determine when any action takes place on the film.

Fox toppers Peter Rice and Kevin Reilly will likely want to see how the show performs over the next few weeks before deciding whether to commit to another season of Bauer racing the clock.

The allure of spinning a popular TV series into a bigscreen film is hard to ignore for studio execs, since there is a built-in audience. Also, "24" has also been a mammoth hit for the studio in foreign markets, which suggests that a feature adaptation would travel well.

“24” has been one of my favorite shows on television since the day it first aired, and Kiefer Sutherland has been one of the best actors on television during that time. The transition to film should be easy for Jack Bauer and friends, and frankly, it’s about damn time.

Producers have long planned to bring Bauer to the big screen and originally intended to shoot a film between the sixth and seventh seasons. Plans were later deferred to allow producers to focus on the series. A TV movie, "24: Redemption," aired in 2008.

A decision is needed soon--a source close to the show said the producers are preparing to write the 23rd and 24th episodes of the current season, so they need to know whether to pen a series finale. Production on the drama is scheduled to wrap March 24, 2010.

The thought of a "24" movie always has been an exciting thought for me, but the fact that Billy Ray has been brought on to write the script makes me excited for this on another level. I think “Shattered Glass” is a fantastically underrated and well-written film, and “Breach” was also an excellent piece of filmmaking. He is the perfect choice for this film.

I also think it is important to note that Sutherland himself was key to bringing in Ray onto the film. With a franchise like “24,” the lead actor is so important, and the fact that Sutherland will be involved as a producer makes me think that the “24” film adaptation will be a good one.

“24” airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. on Fox.