December 6, 2011 11:16

'24' movie to start shooting in April

Kiefer Sutherland will soon be stepping back into the shoes of Jack Bauer

The big screen version of 24 is set to begin filming in April 2012, it has been confirmed.

A movie version of the Fox's long-running action drama has been in development since the end of the eighth and final season last year. Now, Die Hard 4 screenwriter Mark Bomback is said to be completing the latest script draft by the end of the year.

The movie will go into production in the spring to coincide with star Kiefer Sutherland's next available dates, according to Deadline.

The film will once again see Sutherland reprise his role as counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer. Fox are apparently looking at five directors under the leadership of producer Brian Grazer, who recently stepped in as producer of next year’s Oscars following the departure of Brett Ratner.

Speculation has been rife over what form a 24 movie will take, since the television show's conceit was that each series took place in a real time over a 24-hour period. Sutherland himself said recently: "Trying to condense that into a two-hour film version has been a real shift in gear for us. We were originally trying to make it too big and put too much into it - but once we relaxed, we found out how to tell that story. So yes we definitely do plan on making the film."