American Idol Casting Rumors: Will.i.Am, Jennifer Lopez, And Dr. Luke Up For Judging Gigs

Last season American Idol averaged 14.3 million people, way down from the year prior when the average audience size reached 21.5 million.

With the show losing 20 percent of its audience, series producers are scrambling to find judges that will resonate with audiences. Now a new report from The Hollywood Reporter is suggesting that Will.i.Am, Jennifer Lopez, and Dr. Luke could join Idol’s judging panel.

While Lopez hosted the show in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the American Idol judging panel would be new to Will.i.Am and Dr. Luke.

According to the report, all three judges are at the top of the shows producers’ “wish lists,” but nothing is set in stone at this time.

The report suggests that Lopez is currently hung up on her salary price. Lopez earned $15 million per season when she hosted last, but her manager Benny Medina is reportedly pushing for a bigger sum the third time around. Keep in mind Lopez earned $3 million more per season last time than fellow former host Mariah Carey.

With Keith Urban likely to return (thank goodness), the other two judges in the running appear to be Will.i.Am and Dr. Luke. Will.i.Am already has experience in the judging space, having hosted two seasons of the U.K. version of The Voice.

The other judge might not be as known to the general public, but perhaps he should be. Dr. Luke has helmed such massive hits as Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone and Katy Perry’s massive hit Teenage Dream.

American Idol auditions have already started in Detroit and they head to Atlanta on July 26.

With ratings down at American Idol, paying out millions of dollars to new stars could prove costly for Fox TV as executives struggle to keep the show relevant.

New producers are now working on American Idol with the hopes that they can reboot the series to keep it fresh with a new and younger audience.

What judges would entice you to watch a new season of American Idol?