'American Idol 13' Judges Update: Jennifer Lopez still in the running
The American Idol 13 auditions are on their way and FOX is still busy looking for judges. THR has the inside scoop on who's in the running:
The front-runner seems to be Jennifer Lopez but negotiations have reached an impasse over money. Looks like JLo is trying to go for Mariah Carey's salary last season worth $18 million.
The others in the running are: Keith Urban, Will.I.Am, Jennifer Hudson and Dr. Luke. FOX seems to have cooled off on the idea of an all-alumni panel, so the chances of Adam Lambert judging is now slim.
From THR:
The behind-the-scenes reboot of American Idol is starting to pick up steam. A source tells The Hollywood Reporter that the Fox show is closing in on its season 13 judges lineup. At the top of producers' wish list: singer, actress and mini-mogul Jennifer Lopez, who was a judge on Idol for two seasons, in 2011 and 2012.But talks between producers and Lopez's representatives seem to have reached an impasse over -- what else -- money.
While on Idol, Lopez earned an estimated $15 million per season. It was reported that her successor, Mariah Carey, got $3 million more than that. No doubt Lopez's manager Benny Medina, who, another insider says is “pushing hard to do a deal,” is asking for a hefty pay raise for Lopez. (Also worth noting: Midway through Idol's lackluster season 12, producers approached Lopez's team with a plan to replace Carey with Lopez.)