Jack Bauer could well return to Fox.
There are currently “active creative discussions” about bringing back classic Kiefer Sutherland-fronted terrorism drama series 24 with a new take.
Fox Entertainment President Michael Thorn told Deadline that there is “potential” that the show will return in some form.
“There’s still a possibility, there’s still some discussions with the producers on a take that we have yet to hear,” he said. “There [are] some active creative discussions that are happening.”
Thorn’s comments echo recent words from 24 executive producer Howard Gordon, who told Deadline in a recent interview that a new take on the series is “always percolating”. Gordon said that he loves the character but cautioned “it’s not official, sort of, until I think all the pieces come together.”
24, which was created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, launched on November 6, 2001. Starring Sutherland as counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer, the series ran for eight seasons — and spawned a two-hour movie — until 2010. A 12-episode limited series aired in 2014 and was followed in 2017 by a Corey Hawkins-fronted spin-off, 24: Legacy. That ran for one season.
The show is produced by 20th Television and Imagine Television.
Last year, Thorn hinted that a new incarnation was in the works with The Resident showrunner Todd Harthan, which itself followed a couple of 2019 takes including a real-time legal thriller written by Gordon and Jeremy Doner and a prequel that traces the origin story of CTU agent Jack Bauer, from Gordon and Surnow and Cochran. However, none of these projects are still in the mix.
Thorn added that the network is always interested in hearing new takes on its classic shows. He said that he’d “love to do more” Glee, particularly given its new series The Big Leap, shares a DNA with the musical drama, but that he hadn’t heard new pitches for that or another classic Fox show, Prison Break.
“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 added.
