The Wall Street Journal ran a report on Ashton Kutcher’s “Two and a Half Men” deal Sunday, confirming the former “That ’70s Show” actor is signed for a single season on the CBS comedy.
Obviously, a force in the one-year deal is the fact that “Men,” itself, is only contracted for one more season–its ninth–on The Eye. Should CBS elect to continue the series, discussions would ensue about whether Kutcher fits into that longer term plan.
Assuming Kutcher clicks in the role, that could be a reality. The Journal report says that neither CBS nor producing studio Warner Bros. is looking at the “Men” recasting as fuel for a single season and would want to continue the show for at least another two or three years, provided ratings remain solid.
And, if all goes according to that goal, Kutcher would have a financial incentive to stay on board. The latest report says he will make about $20 million for his work on the show’s ninth season–with his pay reportedly including $750,000 per episode and some additional fees.
That, for all its magnitude, would of course only be about half (if not a little less) of what Charlie Sheen was reportedly due to make based on his reported episode compensations.