14 DAY TRIAL // Charlie Sheen may still have harbored some hope that he’ll one day come back to the show that made him $2 million richer every week, but that will certainly not happen now. Ashton Kutcher is in the final negotiations for the lead part in “Two and a Half Men.”
Yesterday, word got out that CBS and showrunner Chuck Lorre had approached British actor Hugh Grant, offering him $1 million per episode to take over for Charlie Sheen in the popular series.
Today, The Hollywood Reporter confirms that a replacement has been found: Ashton Kutcher. He’s been in talks with producers all along and, as per the report, he’s now in the final stages of the negotiations.
“Two sources close to the deal-making tell The Hollywood Reporter that the actor is putting the final touches on a deal to replace Charlie Sheen as the star of TV’s No. 1 comedy,” THR writes.
According to the e-zine, reps for all parties involved (Kutcher, CBS and Warner Bros.) would not comment on the rumored deal.
“A deal is said to be all but signed. The exact dollar figure he will be paid is not known but a source says Kutcher is getting a ‘huge payday’ to join the hit sitcom,” THR writes.
Admittedly, producers only turned their attention to Kutcher when Hugh Grant would not accept the offer because of creative differences.
Ashton won’t simply replace Sheen: the story has been adapted to allow the introduction of a new character in a manner that will not alienate fans.
“Now sources say Men creator Chuck Lorre has crafted a storyline to introduce Kutcher in a way that satisfies the network and studio. ‘It’s really funny,’ says one source. ‘People are going to love it’,” THR writes.
The publication notes that Kutcher would make for the perfect replacement for Sheen since he’s funny and, most importantly, appeals to a younger audience, which would translate in a ratings boost for the show.
If he is really about to land the lead part in “Two and a Half Men,” Ashton is not saying anything.
“I’m starting to become convinced that people put my name in articles just to improve their SEO or hoping I’ll tweet it,” he tweeted when word of this broke, THR says.