The End is Near For The Simpsons (Or Is It?), and Other Stories You'll Be Talking About Today

Happy Wednesday! Also in today's edition of The Broadsheet: The Academy finally gets some movie museum space... The Coens have their eye on TV... Paul Feig backs out of his next... Another 50 Cent movie, thank God... and more.

· Copious cultural hand-wringing followed the news Tuesday that The Simpsons may be at the end of the line; a contract dispute between its cast and Fox -- which reportedly wants to cut voice-talent costs by 45 percent -- threatens to kill the series following its current, 23rd season. (23rd!) The numbers are all seven figures and ridiculous to argue over in any case, but the bigger issue is: Would you miss it? Because there are compelling cases -- both economic and artistic -- to be made for pulling the plug. I'd let it die, but I also haven't watched it in something like two decades, so hey. [The Daily Beast, Deadline]

· The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and L.A. County Museum of Art are partnering on what would be the Academy's long-gestating dream: A movie museum for Hollywood. Well, not quite Hollywood, at least not anymore: The newly located project, at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, still faces significant fundraising hurdles, a chunk of which can likely be cleared by selling off a Vine Street tract initially intended for the museum. It went for $50 million before the crash, which is like, what, $10,000 and a couple cans of paint today? [LAT]

· The Coen Brothers are reportedly planning a television series with Cedar Rapids scribe Phil Johnston. The show, currently titled HarveKarbo, would track the title character, "an ill-tempered L.A. private investigator whose cases frequently involve the depraved doings of the Hollywood elite -- and his deadbeat friends in Los Angeles' El Segundo." So basically the detectives from Barton Fink get to hang out with The Dude. Or wait, they died. Anyway, something like that. [Deadline]

· Paul Feig is out as director of Bridget Jones 3. Cue more febrile Bridesmaids sequel speculation. [Deadline]

· Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson will appear in and co-produce The Pursuit, about a cop and criminal who pair up to nab the man who killed both of their partners. Hopefully this does much better things for 50's love life than Set Up accomplished. [THR]

· New Jersey governor Chris Christie really really isn't running for president. And leave him alone for not running on the treadmill as well, all right? [The Atlantic Wire]

· Hank Williams Jr. apologized for his absurd statements Monday comparing President Obama to Hitler: "I have always been very passionate about Politics and Sports and this time it got the Best or Worst of me. The thought of the Leaders of both Parties Jukin and High Fiven on a Golf course, while so many Families are Struggling to get by simply made me Boil over and make a Dumb statement and I am very Sorry if it Offended anyone. I would like to Thank all my supporters. This was Not written by some Publicist." You're kidding. [HankJr.com]