Britney Spears Offered $10 Million For X Factor

Britney Spears will likely fill one of the vacant mentor/judge seats next to Simon Cowell on The X Factor. I have learned that, following an overture by Cowell and an initial discussion, the pop star has received a $10 million offer to join the second season of Fox’s singing competition. The recruitment of Spears would bring the star power Cowell & Co. had been looking for after their decision to replace first-season X Factor judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. The offer also would catapult Spears to the top tier of reality series talent as it is in line with what Spears’ former Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cohort Christina Aguilera will be making on the third season of The Voice and just below the $12 million Jennifer Lopez received on American Idol last season. The offer comes on the heels of a couple of public statements by Cowell in which he has been effusive in his praise for the Toxic singer as a prospective X Factor judge. “Are we flattered there would be interest from Britney Spears? Yes,” he said during a conference call two weeks ago. During a radio interview with Billy Bush last week, Cowell went further. “I’m fascinated by Britney,” he said. “The fact that she’s one of the most talked about — not just pop stars but people — in the world today, means that you’ve got this star power. This girl has resilience. I would think that if she’s managed to sustain a family, a career, which is tough, (X Factor would be) a walk in the park. I would be fascinated to hear what she has to say. She’s still hot, she’s still having hit records and she’s still controversial. There’s a reason for that.” Related: Simon Cowell On Search For New X Factor Hosts & Judges, Whitney Houston And More Simon Cowell Addresses X Factor Shakeup, Potential Judge Replacements

WB snaps up comicbook 'Lucid'

Warner Bros. has picked up the rights to Archaia Entertainment's comicbook mini-series "Lucid" for writer-producer Akiva Goldsman to develop and produce as a potential new film franchise. Zachary Quinto's production banner Before the Door, which created the book, also is on board to adapt the property for the bigscreen. With "Harry Potter" having ended its run at the studio, WB is on the hunt for new projects to take its place. When it was first introduced at San Diego Comic-Con, in 2009, "Lucid" was described as a tale of what would happen to Harry Potter if he grew up and joined the CIA. Penned by "True Blood" thesp Michael McMillian and illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk, the four-book series takes place in a parallel universe where magic is real and world leaders have secret agents working to fight off supernatural threats. Main character is a young agent, recently appointed "Protector of the Realm," who must use his skills as a covert spy and combat mage to stop an occult technology dealer. No screenwriter has yet been hired to adapt the fantasy actioner. Archaia's editor-in-chief Stephen Christy would also serve as a producer on the pic. "Lucid" was the first comicbook to come out of Quinto's Before the Door banner with Archaia before following that up with "Mr. Murder is Dead," written by Victor Quinaz, with art by Brent Schoonover. The "Lucid" deal is the second for Archaia with Warner Bros. and Goldsman after recently setting up reclusive dinosaur-tale "Bolivar," based on the upcoming book from Sean Rubin, as an animated feature that Kerry Foster's Weed Road is also on board to produce and Kealan O'Rourke will write and direct. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Cohen Directing Boy Scouts Vs Zombies

The horror comedy has risen againGiven that the last time it had the buzz-o-meter needle fluctuating was 2010, we were beginning to wonder if horror comedy Boy Scouts Vs Zombies had slipped back into the murk of development hell to wait out the current undead trend. Paramount thought otherwise, however, as Tropic Thunder co-writer Etan Cohen is now attached to direct it. As you might just be able to guess from the title, Boy Scouts finds a troop of bob-a-jobbers facing down a horde of flesh-craving types on a camping trip. They'll need all their survival skills to avoid becoming the zombies' latest meal, and to help save their small town.Carrie Evans and Emi Mochizuki wrote the original script, which hit the 2010 Black List and attracted interest from Race To Witch Mountain director Andy Fickman. He's still involved, but only as producer, and now Cohen will coordinate a new draft with Drop Dead Gorgeous writer Lona Williams.Though there's no sign yet of when Boy Scouts Vs Zombies will start filming, Cohen has been as in demand as ever recently, writing Revenge Of The Jocks and acting as one of the many keyboard thumpers who took a crack at making the Men In Black 3 script work. And given his close working relationship with Ben Stiller, you just know he's helped out behind the scenes on the likes of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Stiller's latest project, The Incredible Mr Limpet.The film, when it arrives, will be part of a world that also features Cockneys Vs Zombies and Strippers Vs Werewolves. We may be approaching Versus saturation point.[[Poll642]]

New image and poster for On The Road

On The Road has debuted a new poster alongside a new image, in which bright young things Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart hit the highway in search of adventure.Adapted from the cult novel by Jack Kerouac, the story will follow aspiring writer Sal Paradise (Riley) on a coming-of-age road trip in the company of ex-con Dean Moriarty (Hedlund), a charismatic drifter who offers an alternative to Paradise's square NY upbringing.Stewart will play Marylou, Moriarty's first wife, who joins the duo for part of their journey. The rest of the supporting cast is similarly stellar, with Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams and Steve Buscemi all involved.The new poster looks suitably sun-bleached, with the desert landscape mirroring the novel's themes of freedom and possibility. The new image show us little beyond the principle players, but they look as youthful and charming as you'd expect.Directed by The Motorcycle Diaries' Walter Salles, On The Road is apparently near completion, with the film expected to open in the UK on 21 September 2012. Plenty of time to read the book then, if you haven't already done so...

WBITVP set to remake Japanese shows

Tokyo, japan -- Warner Bros. Intl. Television Push. and television Asahi, certainly one of Japan's five major commercial systems, are joining to co-produce TV content focusing on the U.S. and Asia. Each year a minumum of one project from TV Asahi's current slate of entertainment shows or from the archives is going to be re-made being an British-language pilot or presentation. WBITVP will handle distribution within the U.S., Europe and Latin America TV Asahi will handle distribution in Asia. The intention is to accept to begin these projects towards the MipTV mart in Cannes in April. Such worldwide license deals really are a growing revenue source for Japan's tv stations. "Japanese Television shows are filled with great ideas and original concepts and also the Japanese possess a unique method of entertainment most of the programs have the possibility to operate worldwide," stated Andrew Zein, WBITVP's senior Vice president of creative, format development and purchasers. "We plan to bring these TV Asahi formats to promote and check out and secure commissions all over the world, including within the U.S." WBITVP already distributes TV Asahi formats including "Ranking the heavensInch -- a high profile panel show that has offered to a lot of areas such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, Belgium, Sweden, Korea, India and Lithuania. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com