Fox’s fan-favorite action series 24 may be making a comeback. According to Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn, there is potential for the Kiefer Sutherland starring terrorism drama series to return and active discussions are underway to revive the series with a new take, though Thorn did note that there were discussions that hadn’t yet happened regarding a specific new take for the series.
“There’s still a possibility, there’s still some discussions with the producers on a take that we have yet to hear,” Thorn told Deadline. “There [are] some active creative discussions that are happening.”
Series executive producer Howard Gordon previously indicated that a new take on 24 is “always percolating” but nothing would be official until everything came together.
24 first debuted on November 6, 2001, and ran for eight seasons with the Season 8 finale airing on May 24, 2010. The show also had a television movie, 24: Redemption, which aired between seasons six and seven, and returned for a ninth season, 24: Live Another Day, in 2014. The series starred Sutherland as Jack Bauer, a counterterrorism agent and each season covered 24 consecutive hours in his life. A spin-off series following the same general format but followed a different set of characters, 24: Legacy, debuted on February 5, 2017, and lasted for one season.
Thorn’s comments aren’t the first time in recent years that there’s been talk of a 24 revival. In 2018, there were reports that a revival was in the works that would be a prequel to the series, focusing on a young Jack Bauer. That project was in the very early stages of development at the time of the report and did not make it to air. If a new version of 24 were to be developed, it’s also not clear if Sutherland would be involved. The actor has previously indicated that he’s moved on from the iconic role.
“It’s one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given as an actor, but it’s moving on without me, I want to do other things,” he said in 2015.
However, it sounds like 24 isn’t the only classic Fox series that the network would consider reviving with a fresh take. Thorn said that they were always interested in revisiting their previous shows.
“We always welcome celebrating our iconic shows and revisiting those with surprising takes and new approaches so, especially in this crowded market, we’re always open to reinventing our best IP with some of our favorite partners,” he said.