Sony’s movie studio has bid $50 million to acquire the worldwide distribution rights to a film based on rehearsal footage for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” comeback concert series, according to a person familiar with the bid.

The person said Monday that the bid came after several studios, including Paramount, Universal and 20th Century Fox, were shown footage starting early last week. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the bidding had not been completed. None of the studios would comment on the record.

The winning studio would produce the film with Jackson’s concert promoter, AEG Live, and his estate. It would go a long way to helping AEG Live recoup some of the $30 to $32M it spent producing the concert before Jackson died.

Sony’s bid is on par with the cost of making a mid-range budget movie, and is offset by the fact that the Sony group of companies would benefit from the music licensing rights attached to the film.

This bid strikes me as relatively low, honestly. A movie like this has the potential to be cult-style successful, and will easily do hundreds of millions of dollars in DVD and digital sales, not to mention the throngs of people who will check it out in the theaters. Plus the soundtrack — which Sony’s music arm will have rights to as well.The film itself will cost next to nothing to make, because the footage already exists. If Sony scores this deal for $50M — even considering they’ll have to split some of the revenue with AEG and the estate — they’re making out like bandits.

For some time, it was downright enjoyable to watch the ditzy, virginity-hoarding Jessica Simpson struggle in her love life. Then it was mildly amusing. Then it was just so-so. And now I’m just plain old sad about it. As someone not much younger than Jessica who is currently on an equally non-viable search for the Love of Her Life, I would like to see her have some success. It’s a little disheartening that she can’t seem to find a relationship that works for more than a few months. And it’s basically been that way since her divorce. It’s the same kinship I feel with Jennifer Aniston. Like, it would be nice to see a happy ending for these women, because then I’d feel some hope that there was a happy ending in my future. Every time a Jessica Simpson relationship ends, my hope for my own future sinks a little bit.

But we needn’t worry! Because Jessica is HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! She tweeted this ADORABLE, HAPPY picture of her with her friends (yup, that’s CaCee Cobb on the right), saying “Love my ladies!!! Wish I could be with them everyday of my life. Laughter is wonderful :)”

UGH. Laughter is wonderful, and girlfriends are wonderful, but you know what would also be wonderful? A steady life partner. I hope Jess finds what she’s looking for.

(BTW, you can follow me on Twitter here. You should do that. And then you should send me boyfriend suggestions on there. Okay? Okay.)

Padma Lakshmi, the frozen, stilted, emotionless host of Top Chef, is getting a sitcom on NBC. No, I’m not kidding. It was in Variety.

Lakshmi has sealed a development deal with the Peacock and sister Universal Media Studios, which plans to create a half-hour comedy for her. Original Media, which is based at Universal, is also involved; Original’s Charlie Corwin will exec produce.

Building on her “Top Chef” credentials, the show will star Lakshmi as a woman working in the culinary world. (One possible title being mulled: “Single Serving.”)

Corwin and Lakshmi are currently talking to writers and kicking around specifics.

Is anyone else completely bowled over by this news? Like, with all the genuinely talented comediennes out there who act natural on camera, a major network is giving a sitcom to this woman? Don’t get me wrong, she seems like a perfectly nice lady, but every time I see her on Top Chef I cringe a little bit. Her robotic gestures, her forced smile, her over-enunciation of every single word? I mean, it’s funny, but not in an intentional way.

Hollywood is so weird.

Well, kids, here you have it. Nearly six months after the fact, a video apology from Chris Brown for kicking the shit out of Rihanna. He asks and prays for your forgiveness.

Thoughts?

A slimmed-down Russell Crowe was seen yesterday in London at Kensington Gardens with his wife Danielle Spencer and sons Charles and Tennyson.  They attended a showing of Peter Pan.

You can tell Russell loves spending time with his kids.  His wife?  Not so much.

Let this be a lesson to anyone who is trying to negotiate a higher salary in this economy — are you listening Paula Abdul?  Comedy Central’s Futurama will be back in 2010 but you probably won’t recognize it.  That’s because the entire cast has been replaced since they couldn’t come to an equitable agreement on salary.  

That is because producing studio 20th TV is proceeding with auditioning new actors for the roles after failing to reach an agreement with the original voice cast: John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Billy West, Tress MacNeille and Katey Sagal.

“We love the ‘Futurama’ voice performers and absolutely wanted to use them, but unfortunately, we could not meet their salary demands,” the studio said in a statement Friday. “While replacing these talented actors will be difficult, the show must go on.”

In other words, CC probably said, “This is the number.  Take it or leave it,” and the agents negotiating on behalf of their clients probably thought it was your standard, first offer bluff.  Not well-played.  This is voice work … how much are these people expecting to get paid?  I’d do it for a can of cashews, though I’m well aware that, uh, voice work isn’t my calling.