Background: The idea of Jack Bauer on the big screen is nearly as old as Fox's "real time" action series itself. But a plan to make a film during the hiatus between seasons six and seven never worked out, and rumors of a "Die Hard" meets "24" mashup didn't pan out either. Billy Ray ("Shattered Glass") has long been attached as a screenwriter and there was talk Tony Scott might direct, but he never officially signed on. The most recent development came in March when Fox delayed plans for a spring start reportedly due to budget disagreements between the studio (who wanted to cap it at $30 million) and star Kiefer Sutherland and producer Brian Grazer (who were pushing for over $40 million). The difficulty of juggling a film's production window with Sutherland's commitment to current TV series "Touch" is another hurdle...at least for now.

Current status: Sutherland will probably never let the idea die, but the more time that passes with the show off the air, the less realistic it seems. It doesn't help that "24" didn't exactly go out on a creative or ratings high, and even though Fox had a TV-turned-movie success with the first "X-Files" film (released while the series was still a hit), the second was a flop (and opened six years after the show ended). Until there's a director attached, fans shouldn't hold their breath.

- Geoff Berkshire