Merrick again...
THIS update at Deadline brings a different spin to the story:
Word is racing around agency circles that Kiefer Sutherland was not only unhappy about the pic’s postponement, but also what I’d heard was a $1 million offer to play Jack Bauer in a deal that was heavily back-loaded to reward success.
[EDIT]
Fox wanted a budget around $30 million, while the filmmakers wanted $45 million to $60 million.
Which jibes with THIS report from TheWrap. We'll see how this shakes out. In such matters, there always seem to be...possibilities. But with issues THIS severe at play...it's hard to know...
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Merrick here...
Deadline has an interesting piece about the fate of the long-gestating 24 movie, which was (at one point) looking to shift into gear right around now. Seems there's a script, and...per THIS piece at Deadline...
The studio was zeroing in on a director–Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY, KING ARTHUR)...
...but the project isn't going to be moving forward. This year, at least. Deadline says..
Studio insiders tell me that Fox wasn’t convinced it had enough time to complete the film before Sutherland has to go back to work on Touch‘s second season, and didn’t want to rush and neither did Sutherland.
The article goes on to reveal that the 24 movie was apparently part of a multi-picture arc, and discuses the-behind-the-scenes machinations of the project a bit more.
Despite 24's struggles towards the big screen, the franchise seems far from dead and has recently headed in some unexpected directions. For example, we recently learned that SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE's Anil Kapoor is working with 24 overlord Howard Gordon to port an adaptation of the series to India (details HERE). I wouldn't be surprised if adaptations of the show were ultimately taken to other countries as well.
Deadline wonders whether Fox will keep the fires burning on this project - and its certainly possible the studio's interest on the film could wain. Personally? Considering there's a script in place, the studio's interest, Kiefer Sutherland's participation, and the apparent solvency of the franchise, something tells me we will ultimately see Sutherland in a 24 bigscreenification. Just not quite yet. But maybe not. We'll see...
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