Two months ago we heard the planned 24 reboot would focus on a new male agent in his twenties working alongside an older more experienced female agent. At that time, the hope was for Kiefer Sutherland to still make an occasional appearance in the reboot. But today FOX revealed that it might not feature any returning characters at all – no Jack, Chloe, Kate, or Tony.
A reboot of 24 is still in development, according to Fox chairman and CEO Gary Newman, who offered an update to reporters during the network’s summer press tour.
Manny Coto and Evan Katz are writing the script, with longtime 24 producer Howard Gordon supervising. Though the network hasn’t seen the script yet, Newman said it will center on a new character in the absence of of Jack Bauer. Not that they didn’t try.
“Obviously we would love to have Kiefer [Sutherland] and we went to him first,” said Newman. “It isn’t something he wants to do at this point, but he encouraged us to continue and look for a way to bring the show back.” The network has been weighing the possibility of a Kiefer-less 24 since January.
The familiar clock will be chiming once again in the new series, but as for familiar characters, Newman admitted, “Honestly I don’t know whether we’ll see any old characters or not. It would not surprise me if it’s a total reset in terms of the characters.”
214 Comments
Comments ClosedJamie
August 6, 2015 at 2:46 pmjmho
TJ
August 8, 2015 at 10:30 amWith the exception of the Chris Nolan ‘Batman’ series, Hollywood reboots usually turn out worse than the original version was and rarely succeed long-term. I would much rather that, if given the choice between a clean-slate reboot and accepting LAD as the series finale, fans be allowed to choose the latter. There are so many action / hero / spy movies and franchises out there – the time clock and multi-screen shots alone are hardly enough to set ’24’ apart from those. Writers are misguided if they think the original ’24’ series succeeded as much on their format of filming as it did on Kiefer’s portrayal of Jack.
roger
August 12, 2015 at 5:03 amJohn
August 6, 2015 at 2:47 pmAcer4666
August 6, 2015 at 2:55 pmGerry Mander
August 6, 2015 at 3:09 pmI’m with Kiefer on this one, it’s time to give the character of Jack Bauer a much-needed break before it lapses into self-parody; how many bad days can one man have, how much death and loss can one man endure, and how many times can they re-arrange the narrative furniture to draw the character in before it all becomes a complete cartoon without any credibility?
I wouldn’t rule out Kiefer returning at some point in the future, but for now, it’s time to give it a break, good luck to the new version but I’ll be watching the new ‘X-Files’ instead… the truth is still out there!
Acer4666
August 6, 2015 at 4:31 pmXAM
August 6, 2015 at 8:30 pmDhayes
August 16, 2015 at 11:15 amIan
August 17, 2015 at 12:04 pmTJ
August 8, 2015 at 10:37 amWhat I can see happening is that the total reboot idea with new characters/actors flops and Kiefer decides the legacy of the show is worth saving by returning himself – same as what we’ve heard Matt Damon is doing by returning for a 4th Bourne movie after originally vowing he’d never do another. The infill with Jeremy Renner was a dud and killed the franchise more or less. I think the odds are good the same will happen to ’24’ if this is how the writers are proceeding.
WouldntYouLikeToKnow
August 6, 2015 at 3:44 pmjackneedstobeback
August 6, 2015 at 3:47 pmTran
August 6, 2015 at 4:06 pmTJ
August 8, 2015 at 10:40 amElsa
August 6, 2015 at 4:59 pmJamie
August 7, 2015 at 10:03 amRonnieTheC
August 6, 2015 at 5:24 pmPat
August 6, 2015 at 5:33 pmScrappyBauer
August 6, 2015 at 6:08 pmJustin
August 6, 2015 at 9:02 pmTom
August 6, 2015 at 9:04 pmIt’s that simple.
XAM
August 6, 2015 at 9:22 pmThe problem with Jack is that he has not and never will evolve. He will always be the self-sacrificing glutton for punishment he always was. Mander is right, there’s only so many bad days one man can have. Every season they come back and tell us he’s “not the Jack we once knew” but Seasons 6, 7, 8 and LAD have proven them out and out liars.
Would it have fucking killed them to explore a day which doesn’t revolve around Jack crawling back to a US agency and saving the world from terrorists? Would it have killed them to explore Jack being forced to chose between saving his country or his family?
I’m holding out faint hope that the new character will be something of a nihilist who doesn’t really care about society and “innocent people”, someone who believes society is not worth risking your neck for. That kind of character would be oddly heroic in a way.
24 Fan
August 7, 2015 at 1:52 amClayton
August 7, 2015 at 2:06 amBrad
August 7, 2015 at 6:17 amAcer4666
August 7, 2015 at 6:52 amjackneedstobeback
August 7, 2015 at 8:36 amTJ
August 8, 2015 at 10:59 amXAM
August 7, 2015 at 11:01 amIt’s not perfect by any means, Jack’s reasoning for being involved in the first place isn’t compelling enough. It’s certainly no day1/day 5, but as far as the even numbered days go (Muslim terrorists with nuclear weapons followed by White conspirators) it’s probably my favourite.
Those final episodes with Jack against a system that’s rotten to the core were some of the very best they’ve ever done.
Acer4666
August 7, 2015 at 1:02 pmwtf?
August 14, 2015 at 4:55 pmYour taste sucks hard
rwhiting
August 7, 2015 at 10:57 pmI take your points elsewhere, though.
TJ
August 8, 2015 at 10:42 amThat’s precisely why fans love the character and followed the show – the suffering of a hero, against all odds, is a compelling reason in any action / dramatic movie for the audience to root for and follow a specific hero.
24FanForever
October 14, 2015 at 1:58 pmXAM
August 6, 2015 at 9:09 pmSince the original characters were killed off, they’ve never actually replaced them with new characters, just wrote the fucking old ones again with different names.
Each season it’s always the same plot and same old/new lineup of characters.
– Agent with a past
– Nerdy techhead to exchange snarky comments with Chloe
– By the book agency boss
– Dickish and ambitious politician
– President facing a dilemma
– Agency mole
24 characters are like photocopies, destined to be shittier and lower quality than the last with the more copies you run off, furthermore the more copies they make the less people give a shit about them. This time sadly, it’s Jack’s turn to be replaced by an inferior copy.
Sorry, but I think I’ll sit this one out.
Marlon
August 6, 2015 at 11:55 pmThis could all be a ploy knowing FOX
However, If Kiefer doesn’t want to continue on then fair enough
I just hope that we’ll see a post-Solitary storyline
Otherwise, let’s see what they come up with without the crew
TJ
August 8, 2015 at 10:46 amThat’s the sad reality – if the actor doesn’t want to do it, there’s nothing fans can say or do but accept it. I think everyone knows that when Kiefer reaches the end of his acting career 20 years +/- from now, no one will remember any of his other roles or work because of the icon he created in ’24’. He seems destined to fall more into the footsteps of the late great Peter Falk, who could never escape his iconic character, than in those of someone like Bruce Willis, who has been able to succeed in roles other than the ‘Die Hard’ character he made famous.
Pat Hatt
August 8, 2015 at 12:12 pmX
August 7, 2015 at 3:30 amTom
August 7, 2015 at 3:37 amWhat’s the point in bringing a show back after it had a satisfying ending four years prior only to give it a cliffhanger ending and never live up to servicing that?
XAM
August 8, 2015 at 3:40 pmBrad
August 7, 2015 at 6:19 amMarlon
August 7, 2015 at 6:32 pmTINY
August 7, 2015 at 10:04 amDanny
August 7, 2015 at 10:54 amXAM
August 7, 2015 at 11:02 amTINY
August 7, 2015 at 12:24 pmSarah Walker
August 7, 2015 at 1:06 pmWhoever they cast in the lead roles will likely be unknowns or actors who are struggling for work.
Ray
August 7, 2015 at 6:57 pmrwhiting
August 7, 2015 at 10:54 pmEmo
August 8, 2015 at 12:00 amPat Hatt
August 8, 2015 at 12:14 pmEmo
August 7, 2015 at 11:58 pmPhee
August 8, 2015 at 2:28 amMaybe I’m missing something because I have no actual experience in the TV biz, but that seems like a far less risky way for FOX to invest their dollars, rather than taking a big gamble with a straight up reboot that doesn’t include any previous characters, and hoping that people will still watch it. As it stands right now, they’re doing a pretty decent job of alienating the audience they’ll be depending on to make the reboot a success. I daresay that even though plenty of people are pissed and uninterested if there’s no Jack, that a decent chunk of them would still tune in if other characters like Tony and Chloe were still in it. So to disregard ALL previous characters, just seems like a dumb move.
24FanForever
October 14, 2015 at 2:09 pmAcer4666
August 8, 2015 at 9:28 amSo, it’s a brand new show using a concept you accept is good….but you are announcing now that you will not watch it, however good it may turn out to be?
Pat Hatt
August 8, 2015 at 12:15 pmAcer4666
August 8, 2015 at 12:43 pmSebastian Monroe
August 8, 2015 at 12:19 pmNot necessarily defending those who say they won’t watch, since I would give the new show a chance, but I understand where they’re coming from and I certainly view it as a mistake to continue the 24 concept without ANY old characters.
Acer4666
August 8, 2015 at 12:46 pmSebastian Monroe
August 8, 2015 at 12:54 pmXAM
August 8, 2015 at 1:04 pmI am indeed open to a brand new show using the real time concept I just have zero faith in the the 3 shitheels running the show, and if Jon Cassar gets back into the directors chair then god fucking help us!
I’ve never been part of the “Jack is 24 and 24 is Jack” crowd, but for them to end Jack’s story in such a pitiful way at the end of LAD, and then get peoples hopes up for a continuation of Tony’s story with Solitary, and THEN to just drop it all and say “fuck it, let’s start again” shows a total lack of respect for the audience and their own work. One dick move too far imo.
Acer4666
August 8, 2015 at 1:15 pmHowever, it looks like they’re finally giving a mighty middle finger up to the braindead fans who want the same thing and getting rid of Jack…which makes me optimistic that they might be coming up with something truly different. However, I doubt the studio will go for it…
Gerry Mander
August 9, 2015 at 9:01 amI know it won’t happen at this late stage but a 24 movie to wrap up Jack’s story would be ideal, and I’m not talking a mega-budget film either, something like a $35m budget (keeping the above-the-line costs at a minimum) and shot entirely inside the U.S. would produce a pretty good and profitable last bow for Jack… then they can reboot to their little heart’s content.
Just my own final thoughts for what they’re worth.
John
August 8, 2015 at 1:21 pmSebastian Monroe
August 8, 2015 at 5:12 pmPat
August 9, 2015 at 8:45 amBrad
August 11, 2015 at 6:54 amLee
August 8, 2015 at 5:35 pm.
Typical corporate ‘think’… they are assuming that they will profit off of fans of ’24’ with
something that bears little or no resemblance to OUR ’24’. No Jack?? I am not watching
a pale shadow of the real thing. Fox…. start another series that doesn’t try to guarantee
it’s survival off the loyal fan base of ’24’. Call it something else if you have any integrity.
Ed
August 9, 2015 at 4:50 amWhen S4 cleared the decks of cast, it was hugely controversial but we ended up with new tentpole characters for the show — Audrey, Heller, Curtis, Edgar, Buchanan, Logan — and ultimately, having given the new crew their space, they re-integrated all the old faces as well anyway. This set the stage for the hugely successful S5.
Starting with a new cast doesn’t necessarily mean the old cast are abandoned forever; simply that they need to be given time and space to establish themselves in their own right. Nobody’s saying they’ll never have Jack back — in fact they’ve already said the opposite.
I think it’s exciting. “24” is a magnificent format and now, with 16 years to think about it, we’re going to try it with the mystery and excitement of a new lead character — one who isn’t functionally immortal like Kiefer has been for a good 15 years now. If the show re-establishes itself, you can be your bottom dollar that we will see old favourites again — there’s never been a season of ’24’ which hasn’t brought back at least some of its stars. But it’s also going to focus on the new and that’s as it should be.
John
August 9, 2015 at 7:31 amTJ
August 23, 2015 at 11:54 amAll of those were ancillary characters – the anchors of Jack, Tony, Chloe and Michelle were still there.
That’s a big difference compared to the reboot without any recurring characters.
abbas
August 10, 2015 at 10:33 amمن عاشق جک باورم
بدون جک باور چرا ببینم24
More24
August 10, 2015 at 4:15 pmCons … No continuity? That makes zero sense. Until more details are released, I won’t buy Newman’s full statement about this being a “total reset”. There will likely be familiar characters returning, even if they are cameo roles. Yet I’m shocked like most of you that “Solitary” wouldn’t be used in some way to jump start a new limited series. As for Jack … bummer, but as I’ve commented before, the absence of Bauer alone wouldn’t stop me from watching “24”.
John
August 10, 2015 at 5:55 pmJohn
August 10, 2015 at 5:57 pmSpecial Agent
August 10, 2015 at 6:34 pm24marathonman
August 10, 2015 at 10:53 pmTJ
August 11, 2015 at 1:38 amOf course, then he’ll be closer to 60 than he is to 50 and it will be even more far-fetched to think of him in an action role.
Jackbauer
August 12, 2015 at 11:04 amMarlon
August 17, 2015 at 2:17 amJohn
August 17, 2015 at 5:20 amMarlon
August 17, 2015 at 7:36 pmI’m sure they’ll go in with options
perhaps start with new characters and if the ratings are shit then add some old ones in
Surely continue with Tony and Solitary….Surely
John
August 18, 2015 at 12:24 pmAlphaOmega
August 22, 2015 at 7:15 pmJack Ryan
August 24, 2015 at 1:20 amPut simply, I won’t be watching this. And I’m in the core millennial group those advertisers want.
If I was the people running this show, I would hire back the characters of Tony, Kate Morgan and Chloe. You could even try and bring fan favorites like Aaron Pierce back and introduce some new characters. The show could be about some new terrorist threat while also hinting at Jack’s missing status.
If Kiefer didn’t really want to return for even one episode, you could at least hire Elisa Cuthbert to film one scene at the end of the finale showing her and her family safe and living their happy lives and have Chloe interact with her in some way.
There’s still so much potential with the old characters and fans have been attached to them for 14 years. Why reboot the show? Pointless.
It’s almost as insulting as the reboot of Prison Break and “ignoring” the sad finale that had him dead.
Luke
August 24, 2015 at 3:29 pmAndrew
August 28, 2015 at 11:36 amTom
August 25, 2015 at 4:19 pmI wouldn’t watch a ’24’ real time TV series without Jack Bauer.
MacPherson Delacroix
August 27, 2015 at 9:56 pmJohn
August 28, 2015 at 3:57 amJustin Urciuoli
August 29, 2015 at 3:49 pmlinda dombkiewicz
August 30, 2015 at 4:48 amShady
August 30, 2015 at 9:40 pm24 is Jack Bauer and 24 without Keifer / Jack.. it will be The Office without Steve Carell or the last season of Scrubs except much much worst. ( those are the only shows i can think of off the top of my head that had such a drastic change)
and im afraid the ratings will be so bad without Keifer that we will never get another season with Jack Bauer in it and that will be it for 24…
Marlon
September 4, 2015 at 10:13 pmAny progress on this?
John
September 12, 2015 at 3:52 amhttp://www.denofgeek.us/tv/howard-gordon/248327/howard-gordon-talks-the-x-files-revival-homeland-24
They are still writing that darn draft. I think they are just waiting for Kiefer to come around and taking it relaxed until then.
I hope they get iff their arses and write based off the solitary storyline combineing with a good new one. If Kiefer wants to come back later for a guest which he said he would be willing to do. Then gi with that. Dont spend 5 months writing a futile draft just waiting for KS to change his mind!
ANTONIO CAMPBELL
September 13, 2015 at 6:54 pmJohn
September 16, 2015 at 1:55 am24Fan1980
September 16, 2015 at 6:01 pm24LAD: First announced May 9 2013, Officially greenlit on May 13.
X-Files:
First announced: January 2015. Officially greenlit: March 2015
Prison Break reboot: Development announced: June 2015. Officially greenlit: August 2015.
24 Reboot
January 2015: Bauer-less spinoff in development
June: New spinoff with 20-something male lead and female veteran agent co-lead announced.
August: No returning characters.
Still nothing official.
Are they holding out for Kiefer?
Justin
September 16, 2015 at 11:59 pmPat
September 27, 2015 at 10:13 am24Fan1980
September 27, 2015 at 12:28 pmAfter so much backlash, the fanbase will be ecstatic if they announce that Kiefer and Carlos will headline the next season of 24. Mary Lynn might not be available though if her Amazon pilot is picked up.
John
September 27, 2015 at 12:31 pmPat
September 30, 2015 at 12:05 pmJustin
September 16, 2015 at 11:59 pmJohn
September 17, 2015 at 8:25 am24Fan1980
September 17, 2015 at 1:46 pmJohn
September 17, 2015 at 1:50 pmPat
September 27, 2015 at 10:12 am24Fan1980
September 27, 2015 at 12:32 pmPat
September 27, 2015 at 3:31 pmBMAN
September 27, 2015 at 10:29 pmPat
September 30, 2015 at 12:04 pmBMAN
September 30, 2015 at 9:18 pmPat
October 5, 2015 at 6:00 pmDie Hard 5, a total piece of crap, cost 92 million to make and only made 303 million worldwide. Of that, maybe 50-75 million was profit, I stress the maybe. All a numbers game, sadly. Numbers may look big but when you factor in budget, advertising used, theaters taking their cut and other costs, doesn’t add up to a whole lot of profit for studios.
BMAN
October 5, 2015 at 10:08 pmGerry Mander
October 7, 2015 at 9:54 amKiefer would still jump at the chance of a 24 movie, despite what he’s saying of late, it’s whether FOX would still want to do it is the main issue probably…
Pat
October 7, 2015 at 7:03 pmVery true, not many studios, if any, have balls now a days. It’s reboots, remakes, redos, tv shows to movie or movie to tv shows.
Was it 30 million? I read 20 million at one point. Hell, if they got all of that they could do it for 15 million, if it weren’t for the greedy actors.
That is another reason why studios have no balls because in order to get a so called bankable star they have to pay them 10-50 million a movie. That eats up a crap ton of any budget right there.
BMAN
October 14, 2015 at 11:14 pmPat
October 16, 2015 at 6:46 pm24Fan1980
September 17, 2015 at 1:49 pm“Speaking about season 9, Live Another Day, the 48-year-old said: “It didn’t have the conclusiveness that I think on some level we promised when we announced another season.
“(But) it’s a character I really love playing, so the idea that there may be another opportunity to play him again someday is always kind of comforting to me.”
“It was left open for a variety of reasons, and there certainly was discussion about really closing it off and potentially killing him.
“But … they always wanted to reserve the right to bring Bauer back. Now there’s talk that they will reboot the show and recast other parts.”
http://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/605832/Kiefer-Sutherland-Jack-Bauer-24-new-season-Forsaken-Donald-Sutherland-Toronto
John
September 17, 2015 at 1:54 pmPat
September 26, 2015 at 11:30 amJohn
September 26, 2015 at 11:52 am24Fan1980
September 26, 2015 at 1:10 pmJohn
September 26, 2015 at 1:33 pmJohn
September 26, 2015 at 1:34 pmFelix
September 22, 2015 at 3:08 amNot all Re-boot is success
24Fan1980
September 22, 2015 at 11:53 amJohn
September 27, 2015 at 12:37 pmFred
September 28, 2015 at 12:37 pmJohnGormleyJG
September 28, 2015 at 1:13 pmJohnGormleyJG
September 27, 2015 at 3:56 pmJohnGormleyJG
September 30, 2015 at 4:08 pmRonnieTheC
September 30, 2015 at 7:46 pm24Fan1980
October 1, 2015 at 10:38 amKiefer admitted the ending of LAD was unsatisfactory. Why can’t they at least do a TV movie finale and resolve his storyline (and Tony and Chloe’s)? It would take a month or so to complete. He has an open schedule right now so why not?
Marlon
September 30, 2015 at 9:04 pmHe can’t be that old to not be able to play the role of Jack Bauer
So regardless of what the media is telling us, I’ll wait and see what really happens when it happens
dj042t
October 1, 2015 at 2:48 pmJohnGormleyJG
October 1, 2015 at 3:19 pmMore24
October 3, 2015 at 6:23 pmJohnGormleyJG
October 4, 2015 at 6:42 amJustin Urciuoli
October 5, 2015 at 9:02 pmAlso Kiefer has said after season 8, that he was done with 24 and he came back 4 years later! Kiefer is just taking a break and doing other things. I think once Kiefer sees what the writers have in mind, a script then he will commit to it. He probably does not want to commit to it until he sees what the writers have in mind for him. Give it time, Kiefer will be back at some point. He loves to work and probably will not find any more successes like 24! He even said he loves the show, loves playing the character and he loves how the 24 medium reaches a lot of people! He wants us viewers to miss him and then he will surprise us and come back eventually when we least expect it.
RonnieTheC
October 6, 2015 at 11:09 amMarlon
October 13, 2015 at 11:52 pmRonnieTheC
October 14, 2015 at 12:43 pmEarnings Finest
October 14, 2015 at 10:49 pmIt could work like this: We start season ten with Jack in Moscow for the first ten minutes, seemingly working for his Russian captors. He then gets on a plane headed for LA in which they plan to attack the US. 12 hours later, they arrive but we find out that Jack is really trying to stop the attack from happening. By the end of episode four, Jack has prevented the attack but is shot in the process. Kim reunites with him, introduces him to his grandson, and watches him die from his gunshot wound.
Now that would make for the most powerful, emotional, shocking episode 24 has ever done. It would also allow Fox to continue the franchise successfully as the audience is already invested in the story and the new characters that are introduced in episode one. I am of the opinion that 24 has always had many character ensembles over the years and, coupled with its unique format, lends itself to continue telling stories in an innovative way after finally getting closure over what happens to Jack Bauer.
JohnGormleyJG
October 19, 2015 at 2:19 amNew West Virginian
November 2, 2015 at 11:17 amEdnamode
November 8, 2015 at 12:03 pmIs it possible that Fox never intended to make this spinoff at all? A lot of things seem suspicious:
*The open ending to LAD
*24 Solitary promising Tony’s return
*A spinoff being in development for almost a year and going nowhere
*No returning characters supposedly being in the spinoff.
*Kiefer going up and back with his comments about whether he’d play Jack again.
*A new male lead and female co-lead being announced 5 months ago, yet no casting rumors of any kind have started.
*No directors (Cassar or anyone else) have come on board the spinoff
*No production listings for this so-called spinoff in Production Weekly (not even listed in the development stage)
Justin Urciuoli
November 9, 2015 at 11:49 amBack in January 2015, Fox has said they want to take their time with this show as next season would be another event series. Look at how long it took for 24 to come back after season 8 ended. Fox did say last year their intent was to bring it back in 2016. So I am guessing we will get some sort of an announcement between January-May 2016 for a winter/spring 2017 return after the Superbowl. It is also possible they may wait til 2018 and give it another 4 year gap..
Also I did hear a 24 movie was in development again, so the writers could be developing both a movie and TV series to feed off one another. This could also be why its taking long.
Thanks Justin
Ednamode
November 9, 2015 at 12:55 pmWinter/spring 2017 would be the ideal time. They’d have all the Super Bowl hype leading into the next event season. It was perfect for 24LAD too.
Justin Urciuoli
November 9, 2015 at 1:52 pmMartin
November 10, 2015 at 3:49 pmJustin Urciuoli
November 11, 2015 at 2:26 pmJohnGormleyJG
November 11, 2015 at 4:59 pm24Fan1980
November 12, 2015 at 11:12 am“A script for a new take on “24,” this time without the Jack Bauer character, is expected to be turned in for consideration within the next month.”
http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/fox-prison-break-24-x-men-tca-1201558110/
JohnGormleyJG
November 12, 2015 at 12:28 pmBrett
November 10, 2015 at 5:12 pmXAM
November 11, 2015 at 6:44 pm