No one is talking, and Fox has insisted a "24" movie is not currently in the works. But we love this juicy tidbit.:

Our hero, Kiefer "Jack Bauer" Sutherland "was spotted enthusiastically discussing the planned "24" movie with director Ron Howard, who produced the hit Fox series, over lunch at Junior’s in Times Square this week," reports today’s Page Six in the New York Post.

Yes, Howard’s company, Imagine, did indeed co-produce the "24" TV series. And nowhere–not even in this Post item– have we at TVWeek seen it suggested that Howard himself might direct a ’24" movie. But with this sighting of Sutherland and Howard seen together talking about a "24" movie project, we’re just trying to put two and two together. So we’ll label this gossip.

The Post item went on to say, "A spy told us that Kiefer, who dined on a cheeseburger, was excited about how much more they could do for ’24’ with a movie format than they could ever do in the TV series."

The report also said that the meeting lasted "a long time."

By the way, Sutherland is in New York because starting Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, he’ll be appearing in "That Championship Season" at a Broadway theatre that’s right next door to the Junior’s deli where he and Howard met.