Sutherland signs for three more '24'

Kiefer Sutherland has signed a huge, eight-figure deal to stay with 24 for another three seasons, according to Variety.

The news ties down the star to the real-time drama until the end of its potential eighth season in 2009.

Although the show itself has yet to be renewed for the period, it is currently achieving some of its best ratings ever, with a 13% season-on-season increase in the crucial 18-49 demo.

The deal with 20th Century Fox also includes a promotion from "co-executive producer" to "executive producer" for the sixth and seventh seasons, as well as allowing Sutherland to set up a new production company to produce series programming for various networks.

Meanwhile, Sutherland revealed that a long-expected 24 movie would be filmed in a year's time at the earliest, if at all. "If we were going to do it, we would do it next summer," he said. "It's still a big 'if'. We would not go forward unless we thought we could do it right."