The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Ashton Kutcher will be replacing Charlie Sheen on the hit CBS comedy series ‘Two And A Half Men.’
A deal was finally reached, but very late, as CBS recently had Hugh Grant lined up for the role. Reportedly offering 1 million an episode, the deal fell through last minute. Moving quickly, Warner Bros and Exec Producer Chuck Lorre were able to sign Kutcher to replace Sheen’s character. Lorre states that that the storyline will successfully introduce the character appropriately, satisfying the network and studio.
CBS made the right move, casting Kutcher in this role. With 6.6 million twitter followers, the actor will usher in a whole new fanbase for the series. Kutcher also brings to the table 9.3 million Facebook fans; combined with the show’s 18.7 million fans, brings a whole new meaning to the term “social media advertising.”
Sources tell TMZ that he’ll between $625,000 and $900,000 an episode. Sheen was paid $1.25 million an episode (not including profit participation which brought that up to around $2 million an episode)
This will be Kutcher’s first return to television since ‘That 70’s Show’ and ‘Punk’d’ in which he also produced. Recently, he starred opposite Natalie Portman in the winter hit “No Strings Attached.”
via Hollywood Reporter and TMZ
