24's Confirmed Movie Reboot Sounds Great, But Only If 1 Condition Is Met

Summary Developing a new 24 movie with Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer is essential for relaunching the franchise.

The 24 reboot is likely being developed for theatrical release, teasing an interesting adaptation by Disney and Fox.

Previous attempt at replacing Jack Bauer in 24: Legacy failed due to franchise fatigue, highlighting the importance of Sutherland's return.

A movie reboot of Kiefer Sutherland's classic thriller series 24 is being developed at 20th Century, which sounds great, as long as it meets one condition. The proposed movie will be the second 24 feature film, following 2008's 24: Redemption, which sent Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer to Africa. In 2014, Jack Bauer's story appeared to come to an end when he turned himself in to Russian authorities at the climax of 24: Live Another Day. 10 years later, and the development of a 24 movie could signal Kiefer Sutherland's long-awaited return to his best-loved role.

At this early stage, it appears that 24'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 the 24 movie reboot will be done "in a very interesting way with Disney and Fox." Whether Grazer is talking about how they'll adapt 24's real-time format for a feature film, or a groundbreaking release strategy remains to be seen. However, regardless of how the 24 movie is structured or released, the only thing that matters is who leads it, and there's only one man for the job.

2:57 Related 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.

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Stripped of its initial selling point - unless it has a 24-hour runtime - the in-development 24 movie can only work with Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer. When it premiered in 2001, 24 was being sold as a real-time thriller series, with each episode depicting an hour in an incredibly stressful day for counter-terrorist operative Jack Bauer. However, Kiefer Sutherland's maverick secret agent quickly overshadowed the format to become 24's central focus. Therefore, resurrecting an IP like 24 in the 2020s could only work if Kiefer Sutherland is brought on board as the lead.

...relaunching 24 as a movie franchise without Kiefer 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 a 24 movie could cash in on the current nostalgia boom. In his Squawk Box interview, Grazer highlights how IPs like 24 are "very important" for "risk averse" studios and streamers. With that in mind, relaunching 24 as a movie franchise without Kiefer 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.

24 failed to replace Jack Bauer once before, in the event miniseries 24: Legacy, starring Corey Hawkins as Eric Carter. Legacy was 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 a Jack Bauer replacement was that Kiefer Sutherland had only left 24 three years earlier.

24: Legacy saw Carlos Bernard reprise the role of disgraced CTU agent, Tony Almeida.

Releasing 24: Legacy in 2017 was a bad idea because, as the tenth 24 series in 16 years, it's very hard to escape franchise fatigue. Now that it's been 7 years since 24: Legacy, and 10 years since Jack Bauer signed off for the last time, it's a more promising time for a comeback. Rebooting 24 as 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.