The American Idol reboot has hit some major snags. Although ABC managed to land Katy Perry and Ryan Seacrest, the network is struggling to round out its panel of judges. With Luke Bryan being the latest target who slipped through the cracks, is the reboot doomed before it even starts?
According to Hollywood Life , Perry is the only judge who has been confirmed by ABC. Taped auditions were supposed to start soon, but the reboot cannot move forward without having a full panel of judges. Producers were eyeing Bryan to be their other big name on the panel, but he hasn’t inked a deal. If more judges aren’t found soon, there’s a chance that the reboot will be delayed even longer than originally thought.
The problem, according to TMZ , is that producers wasted most of their budget on Perry and Seacrest. The singer reportedly signed a contract for an astounding $25 million while Seacrest is set to host for a little over $10 million. That doesn’t leave a lot of salary room for the other judges, which is why the network is having trouble landing anyone else. To help alleviate the problem, producers are offering deals on licensing, merchandising, and production for other Disney properties, including Hollywood Studios and theme parks.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like the extra incentives are attracting any potential judges. If producers don’t figure out a solution soon, the future of the show could be in jeopardy.
To make the situation worse, Perry is gearing up for her North America tour and might not have time to tape auditions until after February. The pop star launches her “Witness” tour on September 19 and will be on the road for the following five months. American Idol was expected to launch sometime in 2018, but they’ll have a very small window to film once Perry’s tour gets underway.
ABC has not commented on the rumors surrounding the American Idol reboot. According to Perez Hilton , negotiations with Bryan reached a standstill after the country star demanded a $6 million paycheck, which just isn’t in the budget.
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