Ashton Kutcher to Replace Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men'
UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter has just confirmed that Ashton Kutcher will replace Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men.' The Hollywood trade reported that "two sources close to the deal-making (said) that the actor is putting the final touches on a deal to replace Charlie Sheen ... The exact dollar figure he will be paid is not known but a source says Kutcher is getting a 'huge payday'."Earlier: The soap opera known as 'Two and a Half Men' keeps getting better and better. No, we don't mean the TV show, we mean the behind-the-scenes casting show.
TV Squad previously reported that Brit Hugh Grant had been in negotiations to replace errant Charlie Sheen in the blockbuster series that has been gilding Warner Bros.' and CBS' coffers for years. The latest news, however, is that Grant is out and -- ready for this? -- Ashton Kutcher is next in line for the role.
Grant's name reportedly came up about a month ago and CBS boss Les Moonves and CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler thought it was a good idea. Talks began and, allegedly, Grant was offered $1 million per episode (though later, insiders at WB downplayed that figure). Grant was close to sealing a deal when the thought of the grind of TV series work made him reconsider and he backed away.
So now add Kutcher's name to the 'Men' wannabes, according to Broadcasting & Cable. Kutcher, of course, is a star of both the small and big screen, with long stints on 'That 70's Show' (1998 - 2006) and 'Punk'd' (2003-07) and has a half dozen rom-com movies under his belt. He'd bring a gigantic constituency to the show (don't forget, he's the king of Tweeters, with 6.7 million followers).
Filling Sheen's shoes is an important goal for WB, which has billions of dollars riding on the series (for original, syndication and cable deals), and it's equally important to CBS, which charges $200,000 per 30-second spot in the sitcom, which is TV's most-watched. Previous names bandied about: John Stamos, Rob Lowe and Jeremy Piven.
CBS and Warner Bros. had no comment on this latest development.

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