TV News: Ashton Kutcher to Replace Charlie Sheen on ‘Two and a Half Men’

CHICAGO – Who saw this one coming? After weeks of playing the guessing game as to who would replace Charlie Sheen on CBS’s hit comedy “Two and a Half Men,” former TV star and current movie star Ashton Kutcher has been revealed as the “winning” man by The Hollywood Reporter [13]. While journalists pestered John Stamos, Jeremy Piven, and even Hugh Grant, among many others, Kutcher was very quietly inking the deal that will surely be made official at next week’s CBS upfronts.

Ashton Kutcher Photo credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Now, to be fair, there has been no official word from CBS, Chuck Lorre, CAA, or even Jon Cryer, but THR sites two sources close to the situation. Sadly, we don’t know many details, but the words “huge payday” are already being thrown around. Probably more than he got on “That ’70s Show.” Or for “Killers.”

A source tells the trade that Chuck Lorre scrambled to craft a narrative to get Kutcher on the show after the Hugh Grant deal fell through but that it works — “It’s really funny. People are going to love it.”

Broadcasting & Cable did report on Thursday that Ashton Kutcher’s name had begun to float around the show (but, then again, whose didn’t?).

We can’t wait to hear Charlie Sheen’s first comment on the whole situation and, honestly, think Ashton Kutcher is a much better choice than many of the names that had been batted around the trades.

Ashton Kutcher got his breakthrough on television in “That ’70s Show” and on MTV’s “Punk’d.” Film roles include “Just Married,” “The Butterfly Effect,” “Guess Who,” “The Guardian,” “What Happens in Vegas,” “Valentine’s Day,” “Killers,” “No Strings Attached,” and the upcoming “New Year’s Eve.”

[14]	By BRIAN TALLERICO [15] Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com [14]