Summary
A movie version of the classic action series,24, is officially in the works at 20th Century Studios, (which is owned byDisney), over a decade after the real-time thriller ended its run. Kiefer Sutherland hasn’t officially signed on, but it’s hard to imagine a big screen24outing without the eponymous ex-Federal agent, Jack Bauer. Of course,the real time element that made the show so popular will be gone in the movie version, but the iconic ticking clock needs to remain intact.
24was created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, and it originally ran for eight seasons on Fox between 2001 and 2010, and it was brought back in 2014 as a limited series titled24: Live Another Day. There was also a television movie titled24: Redemptionwhich came out in 2008 to bridge the gap between seasons, due to the writer’s strike.Each season depicted 24 hours in real time as Jack Bauer and his cohorts at the Counter-Terrorist Unit (CTU) thwarted multiple terrorist attacksin Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York City and London. It isn’t yet known whenthe upcoming24 Moviewill go into production, or where it’ll be set.
The Loss Of The Real Time Element in The 24 Movie Makes The Return Of The Ticking Clock Much More Important
Jack Bauer came along at just the right time with the world reeling from the horrific September 11th terrorist attacks in New York City in 2001.America needed a fictional hero to represent the fight against the evil forces in the world.24quickly established itself as one ofthe best actionseries of all time, and it was groundbreaking due to its real-time format. Each season represented 24 hours in the life of Jack Bauer as he raced against time to save the world. However, when the long-mooted24 Moviewas announced, it raised a lot of questions about how it could work without the unique real time format. It can work, butthe24 Moviemust keep the ticking clock that created so much tension throughout each episode.
Every episode of24included a ticking clock that appeared on-screen to represent the passage of time and the frantic race to save America from a terrorist threat. The clock would appear on-screen to coincide with each commercial break, and there would be a short passage of time to reflect the length of the ad break, with each episode usually being 42–43 minutes long, taking place over an hour-long period.24is making a return, and the movie must keep the ticking clock element as it keeps the audience on edge as the stakes get higher with each passing minute, but also because the sound of the ticking clock was so memorable, and it simply wouldn’t be24without it.
The 24 Movie Needs To Keep The Ticking Clock As It Will Be Vital To The Ending
24always ended with a cliffhanger, which was represented by the ticking clock counting down to the end of the hour. At the end of each season, the clock would appear on the screen to represent the end of the series.The24 moviewill need the ticking clock at the end of the movie, otherwise it could just be another generic action romp,and the fans don’t want that.
There were variations on the ticking clock in the long-running series, with it occasionally appearing as a silent clock for thesaddest character deaths. There were other uses of the ticking clock in the series, and these could be used in the movie as well, but the main thing is that it returns in some capacity.
Why Has It Taken So Long For a 24 Movie To Happen?
There had been discussions about the possibility of a24 Moviefor many years, but it never materialized until now.Kiefer Sutherland was always keen to play Jack Bauer on the big screen, and producer, Brian Grazer, (who is involved in the current24 Movieplans), revealed why it hadn’t happened in aninterview with Deadline, while promoting the spin-off series,24: Legacyback in 2017:
It just worked better for television. We couldn’t really find the right world to put it in, the right location. To base it in America seemed not very authentic, whereas to do a TV show in America was the perfect bridge. We put it in European countries, but it wasn’t working there with the economics. We couldn’t find enough money to make it. So we couldn’t find the right location, we couldn’t find the right story, and it was always too expensive.
Something has clearly changed with the passage of time, and it’ll be interesting to see what will happen with the24: Movie, when it goes into production. As long as Kiefer Sutherland and the iconic ticking clock return, everything else should fall into place for the long-awaited big screen adaptation of the iconic series.
