Whilst Jack Bauer’s movie may have been delayed due to script issues, Kiefer Sutherland has been keeping busy with a new web series that will stream on Hulu this March. The Confession consists of 10 five-to-seven-minute webisodes from the Digital Broadcasting Group and features Sutherland as a hitman who has a theological discussion with a priest, played by John Hurt.
Created by Sutherland, the Confession was written and directed by Brad Mirman of ‘The Good Shepherd’. It was shot over a nine-day period in New York while the star was rehearsing for his Broadway debut ‘That Championship Season’.
The theme of the webisodes will touch upon redemption and the exploration of good and evil. A hit man enters a church on Christmas Eve and confesses his sins to the priest. Through the use flashbacks we see what has brought him to this moment and this leads to one helluva twist.
Sutherland spoke to EW about how the idea for the web series developed:
It came about in such a different way, I was meeting a couple friends of mine, who wanted to introduce me to Chris Young (of Digital Broadcasting Group)… Chris started talking about wanting to do a drama, but his criteria was so different. A drama in five-minute episodes! It was one of those things, like a puzzle over the course of the lunch. It can’t be that complicated to figure out a story in five minutes, right? I couldn’t, and it frustrated the crap out of me. So I went home that night, still thinking about it, and it stayed with me for three days. I was falling asleep when I literally got this idea of a confessional.
Sutherland also serves as executive producer with Young, Joseph Gomes and Maura Mandt – needless to say he’s very proud of this new series format:
In all fairness, it looks fantastic… We shot it in the fifth-largest snow storm. It was pretty amazing.
Check out Kiefer talking about making the new web series here:
Chris Young the CEO of DBG, released this statement about ‘The Confession’ webisodes:
The Confession sets a precedent for what is possible in original webisodic content. Never before has something of this magnitude and motion picture quality come to the third screen.
I’m thrilled to be working with such A-list talent and top-tier sponsors to finally capture and crystallize the seismic shift in how content of this caliber is released, distributed and enjoyed by an audience that will rival that of a hit television series.
Whilst maintaining narrative interest could be harder with such short episodes, it’s mode of delivery and the structure is purpose built for the internet. Webisodes have worked extremely well in maintaining interest between seasons of hit shows, such as the impressive ‘Battlestar Galactica’ webisodes which lead to the full length feature ‘Razor’.
Producers hope viewers will enjoy the series and watch them as intended, rather than wait and see them in a collected form.
As for his return to the role of Jack Bauer, Sutherland is still hopeful that a film version of ’24’ will make it to the screen, despite the script being rejected by 20th Century Fox. Sutherland commended the screenplay written by Billy Ray who wrote the Russell Crowe flick ‘State of Play’ :
Billy did a fantastic job and there are aspects of that story [that will remain], I couldn’t be more thrilled.
Sutherland also confirmed to EW that the studio is working with director/producer Tony Scott to get a fresh set of eyes on the project. His recent movie ‘Unstoppable’ was a big budget film that paid off at the box office. Most of the events in the movie played out in real time and perhaps a similar approach would benefit ’24’, instead of condensing events into a 2 hour movie.
For now we’ll have to wait if and see if Tony Scott brings his considerable skills to this former juggernaut TV series.
The Confession begins on the Hulu network this March, check out the eerie promo here:
via: EW
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