The big-screen adaptation of 24 has been postponed.

Kiefer Sutherland had previously insisted the movie version of the TV series - in which he plays government agent Jack Bauer - would begin shooting this year but his commitments to new show Touch and budget concerns have pushed filming back to 2013, according to Deadline.

"We're still working on a script, and hope to make (it) when Kiefer next has time. But this all came down to timing, and seven weeks is not enough time to prep a movie like this," a spokesperson from 20th Century Fox said.

The movie - set to be part of a trilogy - was originally scheduled to begin shooting this month with Kiefer coming on board in April during the hiatus for Touch, but executives are worried about the short period of time before the TV show stars filming season two and disagreements with filmmakers over the budget. It is thought that the studio Fox had planned a budget of $30 million, while the filmmakers wanted $45 million to $60 million to create the movie they envisaged.

The picture is being produced by Kiefer with Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer while Antoine Fuqua has been approached to direct.

"I see it as a continuation. The script that we've got right now, which I'm very, very excited about, is relatively a direct continuation. It's within six months from the end of the last episode. We'll see where it goes from there," Kiefer previously said of the film.