24's Howard Gordon

24 showrunner Howard Gordon revealed some more solid details on the 24 movie in a recent interview with Digital Spy. He reveals a returning character (and hints at there being more), the movie locations, and the time gap between Season 8 and the movie.

Moving on, how far along are you with the 24 movie?
“There is a script. It’s being read by Fox now. There’s no schedule, there’s no green light, there’s no plans right now in terms of a calendar for it. But we’re working on it.”

You just mentioned it’s good to see Jack somewhere exotic. There have been lots of rumors that the movie will be partially set in the UK. Can you say anything about that?
“Right now the UK is a location, Prague is a location and Serbia. And China.”

Do you think there’ll be more than one movie?
“I think the intent is actually hopefully to build a franchise and [writer] Billy Ray says he’s got three.”

When does the movie pick up after the end of season eight?
“It’s roughly 18 months.”

Can you tell me anything about the plot?
“No. Only because it’s such a work in progress that anything I say could be invalid tomorrow. We’re a couple of weeks away, I think one way or the other we’ll know more shortly.”

What about which cast members will be back?
“I can tell you… again even that is way subject to change, but right now I can tell you that Chloe… How about Chloe, I’ll give you Chloe.”

Go on, you were going to say more then!
“I was, but again that could go away, it truly could.”

Check out the full interview at Digital Spy, it’s a great read. Howard talks about the criticism regarding Allison Taylor’s shift in behavior, why Aaron Pierce and Tony Almeida didn’t return in Season 8, writing the shows final scene, and Jack Bauer’s partners.

Update: Watch the full Chloe’s Arrest epilogue!

I broke the news back in August about a Chloe scene filming for the DVD and now New York Post’s PopWrap has the exclusive first screenshot:

When Jack Bauer slipped out of satellite sight in the “24″ series finale, fans thought they had seen the last of CTU, but it turns out there is one final chapter to tell. A Chloe-centric vignette was filmed exclusively for the upcoming Season Eight DVD set and PopWrap has your exclusive first look at the action.

In the epilogue, Chloe is interrogated (with husband Morris and son Prescott baring witness) for the part she played in helping Jack Bauer evade capture in the May finale. We’ll have to wait until December 14 to see if she’s held accountable for doing the right thing, but in the meantime we can relive the heart-breaking final call that led to Chloe’s current predicament.

Source: PopWrap

Update: Watch the full Chloe’s Arrest epilogue!

A new scene is being filmed for the 24 Season 8 DVD today featuring Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), her husband Morris O’Brian (Carlo Rota), and their young son Prescott O’Brian (played by showrunner Howard Gordon’s son in 24 Season 7). This was something that was just locked down within the last few days – as of August 9th it was still up in the air.

No word on what the scene entails – it could be some kind of epilogue of sorts, a tie-in to the 24 movie, or more likely just a short scene for fans of the series. Hope to have more information soon!

Remember President Taylor urging Jack to flee for his life in 24‘s series finale? That’s probably just what he’ll do—straight to a movie theater.

“Jack ended in a way like never before—as a fugitive from everyone,” says executive producer Howard Gordon, who envisions Sutherland giving Bruce “Die Hard” Willis and Harrison “The Fugitive” Ford runs for their money. In the film, “Cold War themes bubble up, and it’s fair to say that Jack’s status as a fugitive remains that at the start of the movie.”

The screenplay’s first draft, written by Billy Ray (Shattered Glass, Flightplan) is now in the hands of Sutherland, and a director is expected to be attached shortly. Though all plot details are being guarded more closely than CTU secrets, Gordon says he expects Jack’s Girl Friday Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) to make an appearance: “There will definitely be some familiar faces. Our idea is to make Jack Bauer someone we can revisit on a regular basis.”

Source: TV Guide

Includes a rather big 24 series finale spoiler clip from 0:09 to 0:36 – so skip past that if you don’t wanna see it.

TwitVid Link: Mary Lynn Rajskub on Chelsea Lately 5/20 video interview

David Hinckley of NY Daily Mag has reviewed the 24 series finale (“Kiefer Sutherland and co. clock out with a winner”) and also provides a spoiler near the end of the article.

Monday night’s two-hour finale of Fox’s “24″ is a bloody mess.

It’s that good, and yes, we expected no less.

Like “The Sopranos,” “The Shield” and other A-list crime-and-morality dramas, “24″ doesn’t pretend that the end of the show means injustice, corruption and evil can magically be made to disappear.

So the show provides some resolution to this season’s story line, which revolved around the human and moral cost of trying to craft a Middle East peace treaty.

At the same time, Monday’s finale makes it clear that counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) will always be outnumbered and outgunned in his battle to stop the bad guys.

The best Jack can do is stick his finger in the dam from time to time while he searches for the occasional ray of light.

The last time he found one of those, however, in fellow agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching), she was promptly killed.

Renee’s death continues to set up this season’s climactic action, as a near-psychotic Jack seeks to kill everyone involved. Even if that person is a head of state.

It’s vintage Jack, an equalizer whose raw fury we understand.

“I would have accepted justice by law,” Jack says, in what could serve as a mission statement for the whole eight-season run of “24.” “But that was taken from me. [So] I am judge and jury.”

That sort of remark explains why Jack has been compared to Clint Eastwood’s justice-dealing cop Dirty Harry. Jack’s world, however, has never been as black-and-white as Harry’s, and things don’t change Monday just because the series is ending.

His adversaries include true creeps like robotic Russians and former President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), whose every utterance makes your skin crawl. It includes good people who have lost their way, like President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones).

He also runs with some good people who stay good, like young agent Cole Ortiz (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and loyal associate Chloe O’Brian (Mary Ann Rajskub).

The fact he and Chloe at one point are yelling threats at each other underscores how a few bad decisions at the top can poison the whole world.

So yes, the world is a mess. It’s also bloody, and while Monday’s finale may have fewer outright deaths than usual, it compensates for any shortfall in body count with nice touches like having body parts bitten off.

All props to Mike Tyson.

It shouldn’t be any major spoiler to say that in the end, neither Jack Bauer nor “24″ leaves us with any rosy illusions about saving or cleaning up the world.

Jack never stops trying to make his corner a little better, however, and in the process, he closes out “24″ the same way he ushered it in: as a fast-paced, first-rate action-adventure that pauses just long enough to show us a heart.

Source: NY Daily News

Many surprises, but no surprise appearances by Naked Mandy, Mike Novik or anyone else in the #24 finale. Hints on how it ends at @HercSpoils [Tweet via @hercAICN]

Click through for the full list of tweets (cleaned up for easier reading). They lean more towards minor spoilers/teases – no deaths or major twists are revealed, mostly some quotes and intriguing teases (there’s a season two homage for example).

Episode 23:

First shot: Manhattan skyline. Second shot: a focused Cole Ortiz.

“If anyone can talk Jack down, it’s Chloe!”

Eriq LaSalle’s in this one – LaSalle is the last name in the opening credits

As we learned in last week’s episode, Ortiz is headed for Jim Rickers’ lair while Chloe is on her way to the UN.

“He knew what he was getting himself into.”

8.23 written by Shauna McGarry & Geoff Aull

Out in the field, a CTU agent addresses Chloe as “Director O’Brien” and hands her an important-looking folder.

“Do you really think we can trust him?”

2:07pm “Chloe, we can’t stand by and let Jack assassinate the president of Russia!”

2:09pm “I think it’s time she knows everything.”

2:10pm “But the good news is Bauer doesn’t know that.”

2:12pm A smug Charles Logan: “Thank you, Jason. It’s been a long road, but we’re almost there.”

Ha! Great reveal with Pillar (Reed Diamond) at 2:12pm.

2:23 Weird to see everybody jumping to execute Chloe’s orders for a change instead of arguing with her!

2:24pm Darkly funny and unexpected Bauer command

2:25pm “I am judge and jury!”

2:26pm Yikes! After the Subarov staff bloodbath last week, it’s impossible to know now where, if anywhere, Bauer is going to draw the line!

2:31pm “President Taylor needs to know!”

2:36pm Hardball!!

2:44pm “Can you really take that chance?”

2:47pm Homage to season two!

2:49pm “There’s nothing left for either of us to say.”

2:55pm Eriq LaSalle plays the UN Secretary General with spectacles and one thick accent.

2:57pm Tense end to the almost-last hour! “Who else knows??”

2:58pm Another signature Bauer tactic I don’t think we’ve seen this season!

2:59pm “Which means you have to do exactly what I say. Do you understand? Do. You. Understand??”

8.23 ends with Bauer smirking a very dark smirk.

Episode 24:

“The following takes place between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Events occur in real time.”

3:03pm “Because you helped her come to that understanding.”

3:07pm “Send him in.”

3:11pm Whoa!!

3:18pm ohshitohshitohshit

3:25pm very suspenseful! (where is this going??)

3:32pm “No. I don’t suppose he will.”

3:42pm I am reminded here of, of all things, “Survivor’s” tribal council!

3:53pm “I’ve already done that.”

3:58pm “I don’t know what else to say.”

3:59pm “Shut it down.”

Source: http://twitter.com/HercSpoils

Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello always likes to tease TV scoop and here he is again with the final line spoken in the 24 series (which we know Chloe delivers).

**** ** *o**

So the final line is just three words, the first of which is most likely “Jack” (though not necessarily – it could be “this” or “take” for example). Any guesses?

UPDATE: The final line has been revealed by Herc of Ain’t It Cool News. Click here for that and more 24 series finale spoilers. Props to dj in the comments for being the only one to guess the correct line :)

24 series finale clips courtesy of FOX. Better quality than what’s on their official 24 website and without the annoying ads, more importantly people worldwide can watch these. Enjoy!

Getting The Truth Out (0:38, 2.8mb):

Help Us Find Jack (0:59, 3.8mb):

What News? (0:57, 5.2mb):

She Came to Me (0:45, 2.8mb):

Stop (0:34, 2.7mb):

Jack Takes Pillar Hostage (0:48, 3.4mb):

Over 100,000 People (0:47, 3.4mb):

Find out which two characters the last scene is between and which one delivers the final line of the series (it’s not Kiefer).

“Jack’s copy of the recording is the only proof CTU has against Meredith Reed.”

Source: Fox.com/24/Sprint

Thanks to BennyBlog for the scan.

Looks like Cole Ortiz is in Jim Ricker’s apartment with a shotgun – and camera operator Guy Skinner is wearing protective gear which probably means the scene is about to get messy/bloody. It also says that Jack Bauer gets shot. Since Kiefer appears to be standing in the same room as Mary Lynn Rajskub was in the FOX promo pics we can assume that Chloe shot him.

EW: Did you expect to be on the show all season?
Cherry Jones: It was funny. The week before the Emmys I was told they weren’t going to be able to use me in the back half. The arc had gone in another direction. Then two days before the Emmys they called and said `We are going to need you for the whole back half.’ When we started getting into it, [executive producer] Howard Gordon kept coming to me and giving me ideas that maybe my character was going to be taking a turn. Each script I got, I’d look at it and go, ‘Really? REALLY?’ Every day I’d go to work and say to myself, `It’s for the little children. It’s for the little children.’

You mean the little children she is saving by signing the peace agreement?
The peace she has become completely blindsided by. It doesn’t matter who tries to blow up New York or who is responsible for Hassan or whatever, we are going to make this work! Obviously she has lost her marbles.

At the beginning of the season, you sure spent a lot of time on the phone in the U.N.
A lot of phone calls! I thought that was going to be my fate and then at the very end, I lose my marbles. It was challenging but of course, its always more fun for an actor to trip over to the dark side. Example A: Gregory Itzin as Charles Logan. Guy Skinner, the handheld camera guy who does all of those insane close-ups, came up to me and said, `Is this kind of hard for you?’

Would you talk about it with Howard Gordon? Maybe argue that her actions were way out-of-character?
By the end of the season, these guys are just this side of brain dead. They have been trying so hard. They don’t have an arc. Most TV shows would have an arc and they would figure out how to nudge everybody in the direction they wanted to go in. These guys look at the performances, look at who they’ve got and try to follow things they think will be the most shocking. The fact that my character has suddenly taken this turn was never anticipated by anyone, but they have to figure out a way to justify it. They and I have managed to do that. I’ve got to hand it to them, they live right on the edge. They don’t take the easy road.

Are you satisfied by how it ends for you?
Given how they needed to use me, I am. They give me a personal if not a professional redemption.

Is there an opening for you to do the 24 movie?
I can’t imagine that would be the case.

Up until the last month or so, have fans come up to you and said they wished you were the president?
Yes, to which I would reply, `Oh no, you must be grateful and joyful that we’ve got the President we have.’ I would tell them to wash their mouths out with soap to utter such a thought.

What scene did you have the most fun doing this year?
I adore working with Bob Gunton (Ethan) and Greg. I was so happy to be with those two men, scene after scene. There was this one scene where I’ve got Ethan on one shoulder and Beelzebub on the other. It’s an actors dream. I didn’t have to do any of the lines, I just had to listen.
I thought the producers were setting up the possibility of a romance between Allison and Ethan!
I never thought that when we were doing it but my friends back home in Tennesee would say, `In the trailer you all were holding hands.’ He had a wedding band on! That’s the thing, even the actors don’t really know about their characters. I used to say to Bob, ‘Are you married, widowed, what’s going on?’ And he’d say `I don’t know!’ On 24, there is no past and no future, only the present. You are carving out the character as you go. It’s like sculpting. You don’t know from one script to the next where the chisel is going to fall. You have to go with it and make it work. Because the stakes are always so high, you can get away with so much more than something that isn’t so high drama-rama.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Several promo pics from the series finale were just released by FOX including an interesting Chloe one.

24: Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is faced with a difficult decision in the climactic two-hour 24 series finale episode “2:00-4:00 PM” airing Monday, May 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Kelsey McNeal/FOX

24: Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) readies for a dangerous move in the climactic two-hour 24 series finale episode “2:00-4:00 PM” airing Monday, May 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Ray Mickshaw/FOX

24: Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) contemplates his next move in the climactic two-hour 24 series finale episode “2:00-4:00 PM” airing Monday, May 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Kelsey McNeal/FOX

24: Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) readies for a dangerous move in the climactic two-hour 24 series finale episode “2:00-4:00 PM” airing Monday, May 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Ray Mickshaw/FOX

24: Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) readies for a dangerous move in the climactic two-hour 24 series finale episode “2:00-4:00 PM” airing Monday, May 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Kelsey McNeal/FOX

24: President Taylor (Cherry Jones, R) discusses the delicate international situation with Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin, L) in the climactic two-hour 24 series finale episode “2:00-4:00 PM” airing Monday, May 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Kelsey McNeal/FOX

24: Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub, L), Arlo (John Boyd, C) and Cole (Freddie Prinze Jr., R) work to save Jack’s life in the climactic two-hour 24 series finale episode “2:00-4:00 PM” airing Monday, May 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Kelsey McNeal/FOX

Update: Since a few have asked, according to the file names of the images, the Logan/Taylor pic, Chloe gun pic, and CTU group pic are from episode 24 while all the Jack Bauer ones take place in episode 23. And to get even more detailed on timeline – the Chloe gun photo had “Sc14″ (which I assume stands for scene 14) in the filename while the CTU group pic (which mentions them working to “save Jack’s life”) was “Sc37″.

Logan unsuccessfully tries to locate Jack.

Source: Fox.com/24/Sprint