Rumor Patrol: Is TV's 24 Ending? Will Freddie Prinze Jr. Become the New Jack Bauer? (E! Online)

Today 12:18 PM PST by Kristin Dos Santos

If a 24 movie really is in the works, someone should tell Kiefer Sutherland.

Just last month, Kiefer himself told us he wouldn't even consider doing a 24 movie until the TV show was done. "We have developed some ideas through 20th Century Fox Films," Kiefer said. 

"And we've all agreed that until we finish the [TV] series, we would not focus our attention on the film because this [the TV show] requires all of our attention. We're not starting a film anytime soon."

So now that a screenwriter has been hired for a 24 flick, does this mean the TV show is ending? Or how about the rumor that Freddie Prinze Jr. will take over in some capacity on TV? Here's the scoop…

According to insiders, the 24 movie might not be as close as recent reports would lead you to believe. While a rep for 20th Century Fox studios tells us, "We are in discussions with [State of Play and Shattered Glass screenwriter] Billy Ray to write a script based on his original idea," I'm told that the movie will probably only happen after the TV series has ended.

And although there are no deals in place for a ninth season (the studio's contracts with both the network and with Kiefer expire this year), Kiefer has said he wants the TV series to continue on.

"This has been an unbelievable experience for me," Kiefer told us a few weeks ago. "It's been a learning experience, and unbelievably gratifying. So I've wanted to make this show as long as an audience is there to watch it. We've had the most loyal fans you can imagine stick with us from day one. So as long as they're watching, we'd love to make it."

Though 24's audience has dipped about 10 percent this season, it's still the third highest-rated Fox show, with more than 11 million viewers.

As for the rumors that season-eight addition Prinze (Agent Cole Ortiz) might get some sort of 24 spinoff, possibly with onscreen love interest Katee Sackhoff (Dana Walsh), Sackhoff herself tells us no one has talked to her about it: "I've heard the spinoff rumor, and I have no idea! I've heard this may be the last season, and I've heard this won't be the last season. There are so many factors that go into that, it's so far above my head."

The rumors most likely started up because Freddie's character Cole has been called "the new Jack Bauer," as he shares the same position (head of Field Ops) and background (ex-Marine) as season-one Jack.

However, reliable sources connected to 24 tell me flatly: There is no way there will be a spinoff with Freddie. "The producers love him," one mole says, "but it just won't be happening."

Well, there you have it.

The current eighth season of 24 will wrap production March 24, which means that the show's executive producers will have little time to write up a series-ending finale if Fox were to decide not to pick up a ninth season anytime soon.

And if 24 does return for season nine, it's highly unlikely the movie script would be written in time for shooting during this year's TV-show production hiatus.

Are you hoping for more 24? Big screen or small? Could you see the TV show continuing on with anyone other than Kiefer?

Source: EOnline.com

'24' headed to the big screen

Fox TV, film studios team on feature adaptation

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER, PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

Ray '24'

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

The film side has hired scribe Billy Ray ("State of Play," "Flightplan") to pen the script for the feature version.

Ray's pitch, which takes Jack Bauer to Europe, was a hit with Fox execs and producers of the high-concept television series.

Ray also wrote and directed "Breach" and "Shattered Glass."

Script is said to have come through "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, who's also an exec producer on the series -- and is said to be eager to turn the long-running TV skein into a feature franchise.

Feature would be produced by the TV show's key exec producers, including Sutherland. Series was created by Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow, while exec producer Howard Gordon runs the show through his Real Time Prods. banner.

Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment, which produces the show along with 20th Century Fox TV, also would be involved.

Insiders cautioned that a "24" feature is still very much in the preliminary stages. There are a number of factors influencing how quickly it moves ahead, including the fate of the TV show.

Fox doesn't have a deal for a ninth season of "24" and hasn't yet decided whether to order another season. Insiders said the network is waiting to see this week's ratings before making a decision, but the betting is that this season will be the final one.

Even if Fox winds up passing on another year of "24," 20th Century Fox TV could shop the show to other nets. In that case, a feature might have to take a back seat.

The series' producers have been kicking around the possibility of a feature adaptation for several years and came close to moving ahead on one several years ago.

But the prospect of shooting a film while the show was still on the air was daunting for the cast and producers. Critics and fans of "24" have always enthused about how the show is produced like a feature -- and the film studio would want to move most of the "24" series crew to work on the film. That's difficult to do while "24" is in production, and hiatuses aren't nearly long enough to shoot a movie.

The show's producers did take advantage of the writers strike to make a TV movie, however: "24: Redemption," which aired prior to the show's seventh season in 2008, was nominated for five Emmys.

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 and brand awareness; "24" has also been a mammoth hit for the studio in foreign markets, which suggests that a feature adaptation would travel well.

Fox saw big rewards from turning TV toon "The Simpsons" into a feature film. In 2007, "The Simpsons" grossed $183.1 million domestically and $343.9 million overseas for a worldwide cume of $527.1 million.

Studio saw strong returns when adapting TV series "The X-Files." Feature film "The X-Files," released in 1998 when the show was still on the air, grossed $83.9 million at the domestic B.O. and $105.3 million overseas for a total cume of $189.2 million.

The second outing wasn't nearly as successful, however. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," released in 2008, six years after the series went off the air, grossed just $68.4 million worldwide.

Source: Variety.com

Two Clips From Episode 7 Of '24' (February 8)

Source: 24Spoilers on Twitter

Kiefer Sutherland Filming Downtown LA - 2/1/10

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

 

****WARNING THERE ARE OTHER PICTURES LOCATED ON THE SOURCE WEBSITE THAT CONTAIN A BIG SPOILER SO DON'T GO THERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED!****

Source: Zimbio.com

Episode 7 Sneak Peek

Source: http://www.fox.com/24/sprint

24: BOOM! The Making of the Season 8 Promo

Source: sky1.sky.com

Kiefer Sutherland on season 8 of '24' (Crave Online)

 

The 24 stars returns as Jack Bauer.

 

by Fred Topel
Feb 01, 2010

Q: There was a concerted effort to make 24 a green production last year. Is that continuing?

Kiefer Sutherland: Yeah. We started about, I believe, in almost season four. That's when we started and the goal was to be able to make 24 and not leave a carbon footprint.

Q: How are you doing with that?

Kiefer Sutherland: Depending on who you talk to, some people believe that we actually leave no carbon footprint. I don't know how that's possible because we have to drive to work but all of the trucks and things that we're using are hybrid trucks. We're not using gas fuels and there are a lot of things that are done within the office and the production build as well. So, yeah, I can tell you that we made a marked improvement from where we were in season one.

Q: Have we crossed the line where 24 and Jack Bauer are absolutely codependent?

Kiefer Sutherland: No. I've always believed that the star of this show was the format. It changed thrillers. The second that you had that moving clock in the corner it made people uncomfortable. It was a fantastic idea and that's what people were really interested in when they first tuned into the show and it was the challenge for the writers to service. I've always felt that was the real star of the show. We've had unbelievably loyal fans. I'm forever grateful for that and I would hope that a few of them would be quite cross if I wasn't doing it but I've always believed that the idea was really special. Certainly it was larger than any single person.

Q: A lot of people thought sparks were flying with Jack and Renee last year. Obviously, that doesn't seem like the way it's going.

Kiefer Sutherland: What I think is really unfortunate, because we show you four episodes, this is going to have such a shift by the time that you get to the end and we're very cognizant of that. It was something that I really wanted in season seven and we have to keep reminding ourselves that this is all taking place in one day and you don't develop those kinds of relationships but they've now known each other for quite some time and we were very cognizant, she and I were, even when we were working. We were aware that there is a really wonderful chemistry that I have with her as an actor and that the two character share together and it was something that we definitely wanted to take advantage of this year.

Q: Were you in New York long enough to play hockey with Dennis Leary?

Kiefer Sutherland: In Boston I got to play. They had the game at Fenway Park and the next day they had a classic. It was myself, Cam Neely, some of the great old Bruins and even Dave Schultz from the Philadelphia Flyers which I remember as one of the great fighters of all time on skates. But yeah, it was a lot of fun. It was a charity benefit. I think that they raised almost a half million dollars and it was great and I got to skate at Fenway Park.

Q: What about music activities?

Kiefer Sutherland: Yeah, still doing all of that. The music business is a tough world.

Q: Do you have a label down in Nashville?

Kiefer Sutherland: No. We operate out of Los Angeles and it's still Ironworks.

Q: Are you still working with Rocco DeLuca?

Kiefer Sutherland: Yeah.

Q: Anyone else?

Kiefer Sutherland: Rocco DeLuca. Honey Honey. There's another wonderful young band called Billy Boy On Poison. I just signed another artist named Jim Stapley out of the UK. So we're very excited about all of them.

Q: So you're still very hands on with the label?

Kiefer Sutherland: As much as I can be, yeah.

Q: Any interest in doing a comedy at some point?

Kiefer Sutherland: I have more of an interest in doing comedy than apparently anybody does having me in one.

Q: What's the best advice your father ever gave you?

Kiefer Sutherland: As an actor, one of the great pieces of advice that he gave me, and I was very young when he gave it to me and he was actually helping me with an audition and I think that I tried to kind of really fake something and he said, 'Oh, don't do that. An audience will catch you lying so fast it'll make your head spin.' I'll always remember that because it says two things. It means to me as an actor that whatever the moment is you find it from somewhere inside yourself. You make it real. The other is have a deep respect for the audience because they'll catch you if you're not.  

Source: CraveOnline.com
 
(Thanks Lisa (@K2293 on Twitter) for posting the link)

'24' Filming In LA

The following is a blog entry from someone who observed 24 filming at her office building last week in Los Angeles. Thanks to "Call Me K" and her blog: copper-spoon.blogspot.com. Also thanks to Lisa (@K2293 on Twitter) for sending me the link.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Hangin' with Jack Bauer

As if it's not distracting enough to work in an office, where nearby conversations, furies of keyboard clattering and different musical preferences are forced to meld together, add a Hollywood shoot to the environment and the level of perplexity becomes immediately intensified.

From Wednesday through Friday, the cast of the hit Fox show 24 took over the lobby, elevators and outdoor area of my office building, One Bunker Hill. Kiefer Sutherland and gang could be seen throughout the day acting in various different scenes, from some sort of bank heist, to action scenes in the elevators and on-foot chases overtaking the sidewalks.

Kiefer playing chess during a break on the set.

Freddie Prinze Jr. getting ready for shooting to begin.

Freddie and Kiefer in between takes. Photo taken from inside Coffee Bean, my coffee shop of choice.

It was clear from the hot dog stand, long line of yellow cabs, and extras dressed in buttoned-up black that the episode is meant to take place in NYC rather than LA. The only thing that remained true to the laid back style of the West coast was the relaxed nature of the crew, including Sutherland, who was nice enough to pose for a shot with me.

Kiefer and I before his next scene began.

 

Posted by Call me K at 2:56 PM

3 Clips From Upcoming Episode 6 (Season 8)

Source: Walkercount.com and FOX Broadcasting

(Thanks, 24Spoilers)

Nazneen Contractor revels in mystery on 24

Actor Nazneen Contractor was blown up at the end of the second season of CBC's The Border, only to land on her feet on the eighth season of the U.S. hit 24.

She plays the daughter of the president of a fictional Middle Eastern country, a role that began as a couple of scenes and now looks to be taking off in a new direction.

"I know nothing about what's going to happen," Contractor said Friday, describing how the writers of 24 develop the script as the season progresses.

"They just sort of fly by seat of their pants and are inspired by what happens in the world and what happens on the set," she said in an interview with CBC's Q cultural affairs show.

She'll admit her role has grown and she even has a stunt double for an upcoming scene, but says that like every actor in the show, she does not know how the plot will twist until she reads the next week's episode.

"Because I'm a recurring character, I don't even know if I'm going to be in the next episode or not but it just so happens, every time I get a script, I'm in it," she said.

 "They do say, if you are going to die, they call you beforehand."

On the set of 24, she's working alongside Kiefer Sutherland, the Canadian actor who is both agent Jack Bauer on screen and executive producer on the set. She said Sutherland is a strong influence on the shape of the show, working with the director, calling shots and helping with the camera.

'Learning experience'

The season also stars Cherry Jones as the president, Iranian-American actor Necar Zadegan as the mother of Contractor's character and Katee Sackhoff, formerly of Battlestar Galactica, as one of the data analysts.

It also features Anil Kapoor, the Slumdog Millionaire actor who is one of India's biggest stars. He plays Contractor's father, the president of the fictional nation who is subject to an assassination attempt.

"He is such a treat to work with. Not only that you're on the floor with a star who's been in more than 100 films and knows how to work the camera like nobody's business — it's a learning experience," Contractor said.

"But there's also a cultural aspect to it because he's the George Clooney of India and it's his first time doing American TV."

Success at Stratford

Contractor was born in Mumbai and raised in Nigeria and London before immigrating with her family to Canada. She trained as a classical ballerina before discovering acting and finding success on the stage at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

She said she'd tried to get attention in Los Angeles before landing her part as Sgt. Layla Hourani in The Border.

Contractor said she was "disappointed" to be written out of The Border script, but that opening has done wonders for her career.

"After The Border, I went to L.A again. I wanted to try it. I thought the timing was right. I could take everything I had and kind of jump in with both feet in Los Angeles," she said.

A huge fan of 24, she is thrilled to be involved in making the series.

"There's no other show on televison that's as compelling in the writing and the fact that it takes place in real time is a very smart gimmick on the producers' behalf," she said. "My character is a very slow burn but I have some fantastic story from it."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2010/01/29/nazneen-contractor.html#ixzz0e3b3KcD7