Fox has found its new Kiefer Sutherland.
"Straight Outta Compton" star Corey Hawkins has been cast as the male lead on Fox's "24" spin-off, the network announced via a press release on Monday.
Hawkins will play Eric Carter, a military hero who returns to the US with trouble following him back. That leads him to contacting the CTU, the counterterrorism group that Sutherland's Jack Bauer is a part of, for help in saving his life and trying to stop what could be one of the largest terrorist attacks on American soil.
With TV trying to diversify its casting, the role was originally written for a young, African-American actor.
Aside from starring in the NWA biopic "Straight Outta Compton" as Dr. Dre, Hawkins played Heath on AMC’s "The Walking Dead." According to the release, he will next be seen in "Kong: Skull Island" with Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, and Brie Larson. A graduate of Juilliard, Hawkins also previously starred on Broadway in "Romeo & Juliet."
Announced during the Television Critics Association press tour in Los Angeles earlier this month, the potential series will feature new characters and cast members but stick with the real-time feel of each episode representing one hour. The network had been developing the show since last summer.
Howard Gordon, Manny Coto, and Evan Katz of the original show will be executive producers on the new project. The pilot is set to start shooting this winter. Stephen Hopkins, who directed the original show's first season, will return to direct the spin-off pilot.
It's important to remember that many pilots never make it to TV. If the pilot is good and Fox orders it to series, it will probably air in the fall.
The original "24" ran for eight seasons, starting in 2001. Sutherland last reprised his role for Fox's 2014 limited series, "24: Live Another Day."
SEE ALSO: Fox is creating an all-new '24' spin-off with a fresh face as the star
SEE ALSO: Fox scored a huge ratings win with the 'X-Files' revival
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Here’s how to get your own 'Straight Outta Compton' Facebook photo