Second promo for 24 Season 8 episode 10. "You said you wanted me in? This is it." - Jack Bauer
Source: 24Spoilers
February 26, 2010
February 23, 2010
Is 24's Jack Bauer the Greatest TV Action Hero of All Time?
In my opinion - YES!!! (24FanForever)
by Matthew Jaffe TV.com Staff Writer 02/23/10 10:46 AM
To borrow a phrase, I come not to bury Jack Bauer but to praise him. When I heard about Kiefer Sutherland's surgery last week and the temporary shutdown of 24's production, it was a reminder how nothing lasts forever—with the possible exception of a conversation between two Lost fans at Comic Con.
Sure, it sounds like a temporary setback for Sutherland, but that ruptured kidney cyst made me stop and realize just how good he has been in this role. For all of 24's innovations, from its real-time format to its (once) distinctive use of split screens, if you don't believe in Jack, you don't believe in the show. And while part of the sport of 24 is cherry picking its often implausible details and scenarios, Jack Bauer (with the possible exception of his eyewear choice when he went undercover a few episodes ago) remains largely above criticism. He's never the weak link.
A few provisos: I am decidedly old school in my take and inclined to put sci-fi characters into an altogether separate category. I also hold to minimum Hall-of-Fame-credentials standards, meaning that I expect my characters to have held their roles for at least five years. Steroid/HGH use is another issue entirely.
So let's be civil, shall we? This isn't Congress, you know. Here is a list of Jack's attributes, to serve as a starting point:
He's Got The Initials: James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Jack Bauer. That's pretty good company right there.
He's Smart: Brawn will help you kill people, but brains will keep you from getting killed. Jack knows his aircraft, his computers, his gadgets, and his weaponry. But he's also politically savvy—the smartest guy in the room and the first to untangle the conspiracies that others are liable to miss. Micro and macro, Jack stays ahead of the action and rarely gets taken by surprise.
He's Tortured: Great heroes are typically haunted and motivated by a series of life events that have delivered them to the place where they end up being challenged. Being physically tortured is part of Jack's job description, but the pain he has endured at the hands of a world-class assortment of bad guys is matched by the emotional turmoil in his life: Jack's wife was murdered and his relationship with Nina Myers turned out to be a sham. Dad was a criminal master mind, killed Jack's evil brother, and took Jack's nephew hostage. Plus, until she grew up a bit, his daughter Kim made more bad decisions than a lesser Kardashian on roofies. As Dr. Freud might inquire, "So Jack, how does all that make you feel?"
He Tortures: For a Berkeley guy, Jack sure isn't afraid of a little extralegal action every now and again (and again and again). We'll leave the broader constitutional questions raised by 24 to Jack's fellow Berkeleyite John Yoo (one of the authors of the memos that allowed "enhanced interrogation techniques") and the ACLU to fight over. But in the unreal world of television, we like our heroes to do what is necessary to get the job done. Jack gets the job done.
He Looks Good in a Leather Jacket: An absolute requirement for action heroes. But you don't want to look too good. No pretty boys allowed.
He Plays High-Stakes Games: Jack is in the big leagues: presidential assassinations, nukes, jumbo-jets crashes, biological warfare, White House hostage crises. Literally and figuratively, you want him to take the last shot.
Who Else Would Play Him? Consider it a tribute to Kiefer Sutherland that it's virtually impossible to imagine anyone else in this role. And when I pondered alternate casting and asked some other 24 fans this question, the name that came up was invariably Steve McQueen. Steve McQueen!
With all that said, do you think Jack Bauer is the greatest action hero in the history of television? Discuss.
Source: tv.com
24's Kiefer Sutherland Is Cleared To Return To Work
20th Century Fox Television has told Show Tracker that "24" will resume production on March 1, now that its star and executive producer, Kiefer Sutherland, has been cleared by his doctors to return to work.
Sutherland underwent outpatient surgery on Feb. 16 after a cyst near his kidney ruptured a few days earlier.
Sutherland's representatives could not be immediately reached for comment.
But Jack Bauer is OK, America. You were never that worried about him, though, were you?
-- Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Great News! So glad to hear Kiefer is doing well and will be back to work soon! :)
"The Big Tease' from Fancast.com
by Matt Webb Mitovich
Feb 23rd, 2010 | 10:27 AM |
Any hope for another season of ‘24‘? – Josue
There had been talk that ’24’s renewal would be informed by its latest ratings, but the truth is that any dips this or last week won’t figure into the decision, due to the heavy-duty Olympics competition. Regardless, Fox does have quite the Sophie’s Choice coming up, since it’s not likely to renew ‘24,’ ‘Fringe,’ ‘Lie to Me’ and ‘Human Target.’ Which would you cut? To the ‘24′ skeptics, know this: As suggested last night, any B-stories that have you groaning will die down by spring, clearing the way for a tight second half. And on the guest star front, Stephen Root (’Office Space’) turns up soon as a parole officer with really bad timing, while Emmy nominee Gregory Itzin is due for an encore as President Charles Logan.
Source: fancast.com
February 22, 2010
Exclusive Interview: '24' STAR ANNIE WERSCHING DISCUSSES 'DARK RENEE' FOR SEASON EIGHT (iF Magazine)
The actress talks about working with Kiefer Sutherland, what she's looking forward to this season, being buried alive and more
By ABBIE BERNSTEIN, Contributing WriterPublished 2/22/2010
It’s well known that characters on Fox’s hit action drama 24, especially those close to Kiefer Sutherland’s beleaguered hero Jack Bauer, have a high mortality rate. Annie Wersching’s Renee Walker is therefore something of a rarity, befriending Jack in Season Seven and living to return in Season Eight. She’s also gone through a dramatic before-our-eyes transformation, starting out as a by-the-book FBI agent and coming back as a lone operative who now endorses Jack’s coercive tactics more than Jack does himself (she's gone feral twice this season alone!).
In this exclusive interview, Wersching talks about Renee’s arc and what it’s like to do two years of 24.
iF MAGAZINE: When you were on 24 last season, was there any point where they said, “We’d like you to come back next year?”
ANNIE WERSCHING: I was getting hints of that toward the end of the season, but when the season was over, it wasn’t official yet as far as in writing or anything like that. I was actually up for new shows and then I was offered a couple of shows, so we had to go to them and say, “Hey, we need to sign on the dotted line.” So they did.
iF: So your preference was to return to Renee on 24, rather than take a new acting job?
WERSCHING: Yes. It’s such a great show. It’s such a great role.
iF: Did you guess from the first few episodes of last season that Renee’s arc was going to wind up adopting some of Jack’s methods, as far as torturing suspects to get information?
WERSCHING: I knew it was going to be her struggle and her battle for the whole season, but even up to the very last episode in her last scene with Jack, she still is saying, “Please, what do I do? Tell me what to do.” And he actually says, “Don’t do it. Don’t do anything you can’t live with, because I know what it’s like,” living with those decisions that he had made. I knew it was going to be her whole struggle and her whole conflict for the whole season, but I wasn’t sure exactly where it was going to go.
iF: How would you describe Renee at the start of this season?
WERSCHING: She knows that Jack survived [he appeared to be fatally ill at the end of last season] and it actually comes out that he called her quite a bit after he was healthy and she was not returning his calls. After everything that happened at the end of Season Seven, she lost her job at the FBI and she’s in a very dark place.
iF: How much time has passed between Seasons Seven and Eight?
WERSCHING: Two years maybe.
iF: Are you getting to interact with Cherry Jones at all?
WERSCHING: I’ve had a little tiny bit with her this year, but it’s mostly me and Jack [laughs].
iF: Kiefer Sutherland is both the star and one of the executive producers on 24. What’s it like playing opposite one of the bosses?
WERSCHING: It’s funny, because I usually forget about that part. I mean, obviously, he’s got so much influence creatively on the show and I would say you see it most in that he cares about every single little detail, wanting it to be authentic to the T. You pick up on that. Obviously, he’s very involved with the dialogue and making sure it’s authentic, so it’s nice. But he also just seems like a very dedicated actor.
iF: Have you gotten to go to New York for any of the exterior location shoots this season?
WERSCHING: I have not. So far, Kiefer’s been the one who’s actually gotten to go there. We wished we could have shot there a lot more. So instead, we just had to find shots here [in Los Angeles] that didn’t have a palm tree in it and had some pigeons [laughs] and try and make it look like New York. It’s not too hard – we usually went downtown in some gross alley or San Pedro in a warehouse.
iF: Have you ever found yourself physically and/or vocally exhausted from all the punching and screaming and crying?
WERSCHING: Actually, no. I was usually begging for them to let me do more stunts. I just love all of that, the running and the fights and being buried alive [laughs] – I love all that stuff.
iF: How much of the buried alive sequence did you do last season?
WERSCHING: I did everything, except they wouldn’t let me do the rolling into the ditch. But I was covered with dirt. It was actually the un-burying that was the scariest, because I had to be under there long enough for Bill Buchanan [played by James Morrison] to dig through the dirt, rip the plastic, do CPR and I had the weight of the dirt on my head.
iF: Did they have a breathing apparatus for you in there?
WERSCHING: They had a little tiny tube that was bringing in a little oxygen. I ended up not being able to tell. It was easier to just hold my breath [laughs].
iF: So are you hoping nothing like that happens this season?
WERSCHING: Actually, no. I love that stuff. I love all of the extreme things that I got to do and that I get to do and I love anything that’s something you’d never get to do in your normal life, which hopefully that will be something that I never do in my normal life [laughs].
iF: Some of your fellow actors have said they’ve spent a lot of this season of 24 running through tunnels …
WERSCHING: Well, I guess we’ve been running in things that are supposed to be tunnels, but it’s usually just made to look like a tunnel. We’re on stages or on location, but not actually in tunnels. I know we were shooting where there were tunnels – we were like in old L.A. theatre actually that had a lot of underground rooms.
iF: Do you have a favorite episode or scene?
WERSCHING: It's the second hour on the second night [where she cuts off the thumb of a Russian criminal with a power saw in order to remove a house arrest band]. I was a little bummed about that at first, that I wasn’t in the first three episodes, but episode four – she [came] back with such a bang and it’s so intense and so crazy that that’s one that definitely sticks out. I have some other crazy stuff that happens in episode seven. Those two are jumping out right now to me.
iF: Anything else you can tell us about the new season?
WERSCHING: I like that Renee has a new look this year. It’s just a little more roughed up. She’s got her hair up and it’s just kind of messy, darker eyeliner. Because you get stuck with the look for the whole year, so it’s a pretty big deal to decide on what that’s going to be. They wanted me to cut my hair, they wanted me to cut it really short and messed up, like I’d taken scissors myself to it and I was like, “Mm, I don’t know about that. What about putting it up so it looks like that, so then if you want to take it down, you can take it down.” So luckily it worked with just having a messy up-do, which is fun.
iF: Do you have any other upcoming projects?
WERSCHING: I did a little independent film in between the two seasons called BELOW THE BELT with Sarah Clarke, who played Nina Myers, and Xander Berkeley, who played George Mason.
iF: Were you all swapping 24 stories?
WERSCHING: Yeah, actually. I was a huge fan of the show, so obviously I watched the seasons that they were on. So that was fun. Other than that, with this show, there’s not much time to do anything else.
Source: iFMagazine.com
Jon Cassar Interview Parts 1-4: 24 UK Podcast Behind the Scenes
Join Trig & Jamie as they take you behind the scenes of 24 starting with a fascinating interview with former director and executive producer and huge fan of then show Jon Cassar. A big thanks to Jon Cassar for meeting us in LA, it was one of the highlights of our trip! Subscribe to our youtube feed and please rate our videos. (from 24UKPodcast.net)
Source: 24UKPodcast.net
February 19, 2010
New Kiefer Update
From Jon Cassar via Twitter:
joncassar Just got word that Kiefer is resting and doing well. Thank you all for your well wishes.
Link: @JonCassar/twitter
GREAT NEWS! GET WELL SOON KIEFER! YOU'RE THE BEST! :)
joncassar Just got word that Kiefer is resting and doing well. Thank you all for your well wishes.
Link: @JonCassar/twitter
GREAT NEWS! GET WELL SOON KIEFER! YOU'RE THE BEST! :)
TWoP 10: Shows That Should Get Another Season (But Might Not)
1. 24
This show is expensive, but the ratings are perfectly respectable and Kiefer loves being Jack Bauer. Our gut tells us that it's going to come back for one more year, but if it doesn't, it'll be the end of an era and a premature finish. Seasons 7 and 8 have been just as compelling and absurdly fun as the show's early years, and that's without CTU mercilessly torturing people every week (a real-life policy change many thought would end the show). They've found a way to successfully reinvent the franchise without losing what made the series and lead character great to begin with, and for that, 24 deserves another 24 episodes next year.
Source: televisionwithoutpity.com
February 18, 2010
February 16, 2010
Kiefer Sutherland Surgery Update
From Jon Cassar:
Kiefer is resting, after a successful operation today.
24 Season 8x09 (12:00AM - 1:00AM) Promo #2
"Before Jack Bauer can save his country, he'll have to save her"
Source: YouTube
(Thanks 24Spoilers)
Source: YouTube
(Thanks 24Spoilers)
24 Recap: Who’s the Baddest? (New York Magazine)
In last night's episode, we finally learned the answer to the question that has been raised in each of the previous seven hours of 24. Namely, what is it that separates Jack Bauer from Renee Walker?
Both Renee and Jack are former agents who have been brought back into the fold to combat Russian gangsters trying to sell weapons-grade nuclear materials to a rebellious faction of the made-up Republic of Kamistan. Both have histories of working deep undercover and torturing suspects to get information. Both are now back in deadly peril, assuming fake identities that put them in league with the Russians.
Renee willingly submitted to a kind of torture, allowing herself to be manhandled and then seduced by the Russian who once tried to rape her. But when he turned violent and began to beat her, she flew into a murderous rage. As a result of her rage, the Russian — who was CTU's only connection to the nuclear materials — was stabbed to death, and Jack Bauer was wounded. Her rage endangered the operation and threatened to put rogue nukes into the hands of the evil Middle Easterners.
Last night it was Jack's turn to be tortured. The top Russian bad guy, Sergi, refused to believe that Jack was an arms dealer. The elaborate cover established to fool one set of Russians proved completely ineffective when Jack tried to use it on the wealthier and more diabolical set. Where the earlier Russians (whose hideout was a Queens garage) seemed convinced of the authenticity of the cover story by Jack's willingness to kill, last night's restaurant-hideout Russians dismissed Jack's argument that he couldn't be a cop because he had stabbed a Russian gangster in the eye. (Well, actually, it was Renee, but the Russians didn't know that.) "I've seen a KGB agent throw an entire family off a rooftop," Sergi says. "I know what cops can do."
This is Sergi's worldview in a nutshell: There is a moral equivalence between the government and criminals. Both are gangs of torturers and murderers who will do anything to accomplish their goals. Justice is nonexistent, except perhaps as a cover for the powerful to excuse their ruling over the weak. All that matters is who does what to whom.
Sergi doesn't realize it, but he is actually articulating the philosophy of communism — the philosophy of the KGB agents he seems to despise. He has adopted the worldview of his own captors, those who kept him in a work prison for a dozen years. It was Lenin who famously said that politics could be reduced to one question: "Who/Whom" (or "Kto/Kogo" in Russian). It was the Cold War critics of U.S. foreign policy who used to employ arguments that tended to equate military actions by the United States with military actions by the Soviet Union. At its heart, this is a denial that when two combatants meet, one side may be just while the other is a force for injustice.
Here is where 24 gets really challenging. After all, it was a "cop" — Renee — who stabbed the Russian gangster in the eye. Jack's assertion that this wouldn't have been possible if he were a cop is simply wrong. Sergi is correct here. He does know what cops can do. His worldview has given him a clearer view of the immediate truth than the illusion of virtuous police that Jack tries to insist upon.
So is 24 quietly teaching us a lesson in moral equivalence? Is all that matters in the world who does what to whom? Is all our high-moral talk about justice and protecting the innocent simply a cover for helping our friends and hurting our enemies? Is the government just the gang with the most guns?
We've mentioned before that the underlying philosophy of 24 seems to track that of violent anarchism. Rules, conventional morality, systems, and bureaucracies get in the way of Jack carrying out his mission to protect his friends, family, and "innocent people." The answer to threats is never the better implementation of the rule of law or better execution of law enforcement: It is always violence, deception, and death-dealing.
But Jack is not Renee, who has come to symbolize the tendency of violent anarchism to rage out of control. Her killing the Russian gangster in the last episode was counterproductive; her rage undermined her broader objectives. Jack slays every single member of the Russian syndicate he comes into contact with — except for the leader, whom Jack needs to interrogate to discover the location of the nukes. Which is to say, Jack's violence is controlled and purposeful. It is this control that divides Jack from Renee.
You will have noticed that nothing has undermined the worldview half-articulated by Sergi. He is right about the capacity of government agents for violence. All that Sergi underestimated was the strength of Jack. He thought he knew what cops could do but he had underestimated their capabilities.
Read more: 24 Recap: Who’s the Baddest? -- Vulture http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/02/24_recap_whos_the_baddest.html#ixzz0fiVnjXRT
February 14, 2010
'24' shuts down production to allow Kiefer Sutherland to have surgery
February 14, 2010 | 11:42 am
-- Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)
Source: latimes.com
20th Century Fox Television has temporarily shut down production of "24" so that star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland can undergo a surgical procedure related to a ruptured cyst near his kidney.
Although the cyst ruptured while he was working earlier in the week, production continued until Friday without him. His publicist, Evelyn Karamanos, issued the following statement on Sunday to the Times:
"While Kiefer Sutherland is frustrated to miss even one day of work, he and Fox decided together that it would be best to complete this minor elective procedure now as a precaution as opposed to six weeks from now when production wraps. He looks forward to returning to work next week."
Production will probably resume in one week. 20th Century Fox Television also issued a statement on Sunday:
"We are temporarily suspending production of '24' while our friend and colleague Kiefer Sutherland undergoes a medical procedure. We hope to resume production shortly and do not anticipate any disruption in the broadcast of this season's episodes."
Production will probably resume in one week. 20th Century Fox Television also issued a statement on Sunday:
"We are temporarily suspending production of '24' while our friend and colleague Kiefer Sutherland undergoes a medical procedure. We hope to resume production shortly and do not anticipate any disruption in the broadcast of this season's episodes."
-- Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)
Source: latimes.com
February 13, 2010
President on '24' shares thoughts about high office
Cherry Jones is now in her second year in office on Fox's 24, and she still has no clue whether her character, President Allison Taylor, is a Republican or a Democrat, a conservative or a liberal.
"My hairstyle has changed parties since last season," she notes. "I no longer have Republican hair. But beyond that, I just do not know."
If the actress playing the role can't be sure, how is anyone else to know?
"I feel the same way the viewer must: When she is doing what I want her to do, she is a member of my party," Jones says. "And when she's leaning the other way, I think she's a member of the other party."
Truth be told, details don't really matter on 24, now in its eighth season and airing at 8 p.m. Mondays.
What counts on this show is that there's a ticking time bomb somewhere for indefatigable Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) to deal with.
Still, we thought it would be a fun and informative to spend Presidents Day with President Taylor.
In eight seasons of 24, nine different people have held the office of president. This version of America is clearly not a very stable country, is it?
It sounds practically Italian, doesn't it? Actually, the presidential turnover in 24 makes Italy (eight leaders in the past 16 years) look extremely stable. And I'm not sure Allison Taylor will ultimately prove to be the stabilizing factor either, because one never knows what predicament she'll find herself in next.
Is there a president, past or present, from whom you draw inspiration in your performance?
Having lived long enough, I've seen many of them. I campaigned for Kennedy when I was 4. I was a child during Lyndon Johnson's reign and got to see his appendix scar along with the rest of the country. I watched the shenanigans of Nixon. So I realize that there are just as many personalities in the presidency as there are human beings walking the Earth. The one thing that I guess they all have to have in common is a tremendous amount of confidence that makes them think that they can lead a nation.
Do you believe that confidence can also be the cause for one's downfall?
It often seems to be the case. I heard a fascinating interview with the wife of Mark Sanford from South Carolina. She was talking about these people getting into high places in politics. And it's not that they've changed as a person; it's just that their access to power has changed. Power is an aphrodisiac. It does strange things to people -- makes them think they can do anything, makes them believe they're untouchable. Power seems to have corrupted a lot of leaders on 24.
Has playing a TV president given you any insight into how hard the real job must be?
Not even a crack in the door of an idea. When something is scripted for you, I don't think you have a chance to imagine what it must be like to live in that unscripted world. I remember President Daniels (played by Powers Booth) had a line to me in the Oval Office on Inaugural Day for Allison Taylor. He said that the presidency is made up of jagged edges and moving parts that smack you in the face, and most of the time you didn't even see them coming. I think that's got to be what it feels like sometimes for [President] Obama.
What is your take on the show's leading man, Kiefer Sutherland?
I have tremendous respect for Kiefer. It is not easy, what he does. I have watched other friends on other television shows who had long runs of it. And you see sometimes that it really does become just a job. They do their best, but there's a different attitude about the work. But Kiefer has maintained this very rigorous and disciplined focus. When you're working with Kiefer, everything is ratcheted up. Off the set, he is always completely pleasant and generous and delightful. But on that stage, he is intensity personified.
If anyone tried to recruit you to enter politics, even if it were just Screen Actors Guild politics, would you be interested?
Not even remotely. I admire people who want to take on that kind of responsibility. It takes a real rare bird to do that. But I'm honestly not even interested in my own union politics. I mean, I'm interested, but the nuts and bolts of what it takes to govern is so beyond me. So I will vote every time, but that is it.
Source: star-telegram.com
Five celebrities worth their weight in gold (gather.com)
2-Kiefer Sutherland
"If you watch "24", you know why he is on this list. There is no "24" without 'Jack Bauer'. There have been many shows over the years that replaced one of the characters on the show. Some of them did a decent job of replacing the character, but on the show '24', there would be no point in going on without Kiefer Sutherland.
You can tell as you watch that just as the character of Jack Bauer throws everything into his job, Kiefer Sutherland puts everything he has into the role. Kiefer Sutherland is Jack Bauer and no one else could ever be. However, there is at least one other character on that show that no one could ever emulate or top, as far as the character and the actress goes for that particular role. She comes in at number 3 for me."
Complete Article Link: gather.com
February 12, 2010
February 11, 2010
Winter weather drives boxset sales (24 Most Popular)
(UKPA) – 4 hours ago
Bleak winter weather has seen a 130 per cent sales spike in DVD boxset sales, online auction site eBay has said.
American TV drama 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, proved the most popular boxset and saw recent sales rocket 336 per cent.
US shows dominated the rest of eBay's DVD sales list, with The Wire, Heroes, Friends and Lost rounding out the top five.
The only British DVD boxset in the top ten was BBC sci-fi favourite Doctor Who.
Bidders were prepared to shell out the most for gritty Baltimore crime drama The Wire, with the average boxset fetching £21.48. Sitcom Friends fetched the lowest average price at just £10.70.
An eBay spokeswoman said: "With the country still battling recession, and the miserable, unpredictable weather taking another turn for the worst, it seems Brits are saving the pennies by staying at home in front of the TV and tucking into their favourite boxsets."
Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.
February 10, 2010
24 Season 8x08 (11:00PM - 12:00AM) Promo #2 - HD
"The worlds most dangerous men just made a deadly mistake - they captured Jack Bauer".
I love Jack Bauer!!
Source: YouTube (thanks, 24Spoilers)
I love Jack Bauer!!
Source: YouTube (thanks, 24Spoilers)
'Slumdog's' Anil Kapoor on '24' gig: Kiefer's 'a brilliant actor. It's been an amazing journey'
The Fox hit series "24" may be hitting theaters near you in the foreseeable future.
The show is still going strong in its eighth season. And while renewal is undecided, it's being reported that the screenwriter Billy Ray ("State of Play") pitched his movie version to Fox execs, who are keen on the idea of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) beating the clock to save a dignitary in Europe.
The Dishrag talked exclusively with new "24" star Anil Kapoor (he plays Omar Hassan, the President of a Middle Eastern country) at the recent American India Foundation gala, where he was being honored for humanitarian work.
The Bollywood star is best known in the US as the game show host in "Slumdog Millionaire". And in Kiefer's opinion, he's the real deal.
"I've had the pleasure of working with Ani as we've been shooting the 8th season of "24." Besides his immense talent, he has unbelievable grace and kindness."
We asked Ani about working on with Keifer on "24":
We asked Ani about working on with Keifer on "24":
"I can't believe I'm actually working with him. He's a consummate professional and a brilliant actor. It's been an amazing journey. Loyal fans and loyal audience. The show is truly huge in India and it has an equally huge cult following worldwide. It surprises me actually, the scope this show has."
So maybe an international film version will work.
So will this be the last season of the series? And will a "24" movie start once the show ends? Seems no one has those answers. Or they're just not talking. Yet.
Source: blog.zap2it.com
February 9, 2010
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?
'24' headed to the big screen
Fox TV, film studios team on feature adaptation
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Ray
'24'
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
February 5, 2010
February 2, 2010
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
February 1, 2010
Kiefer Sutherland on season 8 of '24' (Crave Online)
The 24 stars returns as Jack Bauer.
by
Feb 01, 2010
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.
(Thanks Lisa (@K2293 on Twitter) for posting the link)
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