24: The Movie Gets a Scribe

Fox has announced that screenwriter Billy Ray, (“Volcano,” “Shattered Glass”) has been hired as the scribe for the upcoming theatrical release of 24.

According to Variety, Ray sent a script to Kiefer Sutherland who got Ray a meeting with Fox executives. Insiders say that in Ray’s script, Jack Bauer takes his kick ass ways to Europe.

Whether or not Jack Bauer and friends will hit the big screen might depend on the ratings of this season.   If the show doesn’t return, the cast would be free to work on the movie. But doing the show and the movie at the same time wouldn’t be feasible.

There’s been talk of a “24” movie almost as long as the show as been on the air. I’ve always had a picture of how a movie would look and be set up. I don’t see the real-time force of the show being brought over, but I can see Jack in a series of adventures where he is just kicking butt all over the world, a la Jason Bourne or a more violent Indiana Jones. Jack is at his best when he’s racing against the clock to get the job done by any means necessary. A movie could be uncensored enough to get that done, many times over.

Billy Ray is an interesting screenwriter who can be completely hacky or really smart and write complex plots. We’ll see which Billy Ray shows up.