After releasing its new primetime schedule, Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Company, held a conference call to talk about some of the changes and additions that were made.  Even though a number of new drama series and comedies were announced, most of the attention seems to be focused on the return of 24, likely to return in May as a compressed 12-episode run that, if successful, could become a more regular event on the network.

During the interview, Reilly also talked about how they’re going to approach their comedy block this year, why New Girl gets the post-Super Bowl slot, and where Gleewill be heading in the next two seasons.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

24 almost seems like a relic in 2013.  It was perfectly in tune with the neo-con zeitgeist when it came to dealing with the War on Terror.  Specifically, “If the suspect doesn’t give you information, torture him or her some more.”  The show also wasn’t very good, but it still managed to run eight seasons.  We previously reported that Fox was considering bringing Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) back for a limited series, which would be the only way to see the character again since in March we learned that the 24 movie wasn’t going to happen.  Today, Fox has announced that 24 is set to return to Fox next May for a 12-episode limited series entitled, 24: Live Another Day.  If it’s really the same show, shouldn’t it be titled, “12: Live Another Day“?

I’m curious to see where Jack Bauer fits in when it comes to the age of drone strikes.  Then again, after the Boston bombings, Bauer may be relevant again.  The show was almost born out of 9/11, and with a recent terrorist attack, some viewers may want to take comfort in a hard-charging special agent who has a gun in one hand and a PDA in the other.  Hit the jump for the press release.

What is dead may never die: Fox is looking to revive its juggernaut series 24.  The series wrapped up its eighth season in 2010, and while there were rumors for awhile about a movie, it seems like Fox is now eyeing up the possibility of a limited series (the new buzzword format, and something they should have already committed to with that mess The Following).

Still, fans questioning this resurrection should feel pretty good about its prospects given that it was pitched by 24‘s longtime showrunner Howard Gordon, who now executive produces Showtime’s Homeland (so actually … there maybe one or two question marks).  Even more importantly perhaps, Kiefer Sutherland is in talks to return as Jack Bauer.  Hit the jump for a few more tidbits on the potential project. [Update: EW reports that Fox is looking at a 13-episode season for the show's limited return.]

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is director Mira Nair’s latest meditation of her distinctive subject matter: the exploration of East-West interactions and relations.  The movie is based on Mohsin Hamid’s book of the same title and follows the story of Changez (Riz Ahmed), a young Pakistani Columbia grad pursuing his professional goals in the corporate scene of New York and living the American dream until terrorism strikes the United States on 9/11 and he is turned into the enemy.  Kiefer Sutherland stars as Jim Cross — the managing director of a high-end boutique Wall Street hedge fund company who hires Changez and becomes somewhat of a father figure to him. However, their relationship dissolves when a cultural divide forces Changez to choose between two vastly different worlds.

In this exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Kiefer Sutherland talked about the complexity of his character and why he wanted to do the film.  He also gave an update on the status of the 24 movie and the Paul W.S. Anderson historical thriller Pompeii, in which he plays the villain.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

For fans of the Kiefer Sutherland TV Series 24, it has been a mighty long road towards the promised movie, but if Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, who was attached to the project since last year, has anything to say about it, the movie version may have now reached the end of the line.  Hit the jump for the full scoop on the 24 movie.

The first season of the Showtime drama series Homeland was both critically acclaimed and a hit among viewers, leaving everyone intrigued to see what direction Season 2 would take. Having seen the compelling first episode back, premiering on September 30^th, I can say that it’s well worth the wait. The series stars Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin, Mandy Patinkin and David Harewood.

While at the Showtime portion of the TCA Press Tour, executive producers Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon talked about the evolution of the story for Season 2, how important it was for Carrie (Danes) to be elated to be back in the intelligence game, the experience of shooting in Israel, how reality does affect the storytelling, and how the show is ultimately the character study of a man (Lewis) very damaged by his experience as a prisoner of war and how that plays into his reintegration back into his life in America. Gordon also gave yet another update about the possibility of the 24 movie ever happening. Check out what they had to say after the jump.

Fans eager to see the 24 movie get going are gonna have to wait a bit longer. While all signs pointed to the feature film adaptation of the popular Fox TV series going into production this spring, Deadline reports that 20th Century Fox has decided not to go forward with the film this year. Apparently budget issues are to blame, and the studio wasn’t convinced everything could be worked out in time to shoot the movie before star Kiefer Sutherland has to report back for the second season of his new series Touch this fall (if it’s renewed). Hit the jump for more, including the possibility of a film trilogy.

The new Fox drama Touch, debuting with a preview on January 25^th (prior to its March 19^th premiere), shows how seemingly unrelated people all over the world affect each other’s lives in ways that are both seen and unseen, known and unknown. From creator/writer Tim Kring (Heroes) and actor/executive producer Kiefer Sutherland, the series will follow widower and single father Martin Bohn (Sutherland), who learns that his emotionally challenged 11-year-old son, Jake (David Mazouz), possesses the ability to perceive the seemingly hidden patterns that connect every life on the planet and he figures out a way to communicate directly with his son through numbers instead of words.

While at the TCA Winter Press Tour, Kiefer Sutherland talked about how he came to be doing another television series so soon after 24, why he responded so deeply to this compelling idea, gave hints about where the series will go after the pilot, and said that he feels he’s relatively astute, when it comes to seeing connections in his own life. He also talked about the status of the 24 movie, that he expects to shoot it in late April or early May, that it will pick up within six months of the last episode, and that two hours will represent a 24-hour day. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Today, at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, actor/executive producer Kiefer Sutherland was in attendance to talk about his upcoming Fox drama series Touch, which debuts with a series preview on January 25^th, prior to its March 19^th premiere date. While we will later run what he had to say about his new TV project, illustrating the ways that science and spirituality intersect and showing that we are all interconnected and tied in invisible ways to those whose lives we are destined to alter and impact, we wanted to make sure to share his comments about the status of the 24 movie, which he hopes will shoot this Spring. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

A feature film adaptation of the Fox series 24 has been promised for quite some time now. Originally the plan was to head into the movie directly after the show’s final season, but it’s been a bit of a tough road to production with numerous stops and starts. Deadline now reports that things have picked back up once again and the goal is to start filming after star Kiefer Sutherland’s availability opens up next April. Fox passed on the original script by Billy Ray (Shattered Glass), but the latest draft by Mark Bomback (The Wolverine) is set to be turned in by the end of the year, after which the search will begin for a director.

Tony Scott was previously attached to direct, but he’s no longer involved. Producer Brian Grazer and the studio have “about five directors in mind” to take over the job, though Deadline doesn’t specify who they’re looking at. The original take had Jack Bauer heading to Europe, but we don’t know if Bomback’s take maintains that general plotline or takes the film in another direction. Whether or not this spring start date will stick is anyone’s guess, but as of now everyone’s favorite torturer seems poised to grace the silver screen sooner rather than later.

One of the strongest and most compelling new dramas on television is Showtime’s Homeland, about Marine Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), who returns home to a hero’s welcome after eight years in enemy confinement. While his wife (Morena Baccarin) and children are celebrating his return, CIA Agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) isn’t buying his story, instead believing that Brody has been turned and is now working for Al Qaeda.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, executive producer Howard Gordon (24) talked about the development and appeal of Homeland, how they assembled such a talented cast of actors, and the attraction of a strong central character to base a story around. He also talked about the mid-season NBC series Awake (starring Jason Isaacs), which he is also executive producing, and how he will juggle both shows, if both are picked up for a second season. Additionally, he said he’s bringing back the central character of his debut novel, for a follow-up called Hard Target (due out in January 2012), that he’s collaborating with Alloy Entertainment and writer/director James Wong for a film and book idea called 2084, and the likelihood of a 24 movie ever happening, now that he’s focused on two television series, and Kiefer Sutherland has one he’s working on as well (called Touch, for Fox). Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Back in January, we reported on Kiefer Sutherland’s claim that the 24 film would begin shooting around September of this year. Today, Kiefer is building upon that purported start date by saying that audiences can expect to see Jack Bauer in theaters at some point in 2012. Inside TV reports that the platform for today’s announcement was Sutherland’s morning interview on ABC’s The View. During said interview, the actor responded to questions regarding the project’s status with “Yes. It will come out in the summer of 2012.”

In spite of Sutherland’s insistance that the film is happening, there has been nothing official from 20th Century Fox either reenforcing or denying the actor’s claims. Moreover, although Howard Gordon said that the studio was discussing ideas with director/producer Tony Scott, the 24 film is currently without a director, script (after passing on Billy Ray’s), and/or an official production start date. So, as it stands, it looks as if the only thing this version of the 24 movie has over my own version (on which I’ve completed zero work) is Kiefer Sutherland and his undying optimism that it will get made.

With the clock winding down, and precious time to lose, Kiefer Sutherland, star of Fox’s hit (and sorely missed) television extravaganza 24, has just revealed that a movie based on the popular real-time thriller is expected to commence shooting eight months from now. A few weeks ago it was reported that Fox had passed on Billy Ray’s (State of Play) big screen treatment of 24, but now, according to a recent interview with Sutherland via Extra, everything is apparently back on track. Sutherland had this to say:

“It’s a very difficult thing to take something you’ve done for eight years, almost two hundred episodes, and try to find a story that’s going to be unique and yet service the history of the show as well”

Kiefer Sutherland has been meeting with director Tony Scott (Unstoppable) in regards to possible plot ideas for the film, though nothing official has been reported. Presumably, the film will pick up right where season eight left off, with Jack on the run Dark Knight-style. Hit the jump for the interview.

20th Century Fox Television has axed Billy Ray’s (State of Play) 24 film script.  While this probably means Mr. Jack Bauer won’t be gracing the silver-screen in the immediate future, according to executive producer (of the series and, purportedly, the film adaptation) Howard Gordon, the film is by no means dead:

“As far as I know, it is in suspended animation.  There is talk about re-approaching it.  I understand (director/producer) Tony Scott is meeting with Kiefer to talk about ideas. People are still talking about it.”

To read more from Gordon and for a reminder on what Kiefer Sutherland has to say about the 24 film, hit the jump.

Around awards season, I’m always interested by the nominations of guilds or other groups with a specific technical focus.  Of course, the Society of Camera Operators found a way to honor The Social Network like everyone else.  But Hereafter and Salt, which won’t contend for many awards as complete works, also earned nominations alongside The Town and The Fighter for feature film camera operator of the year.

The nominees in television are similarly eclectic.  The final season of 24 missed out on a swan song at the Emmys and the Golden Globes, but is recognized here with House, Bones, Sons of Anarchy, and Raising Hope.  Hit the jump for the full list.