The last two pieces of The Big Bang Theory puzzle have fallen into place, just as everyone expected they would. Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar now have new contracts in place, so production can begin on Wednesday.
Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki all got their contract situation solved on Monday, with the main trio getting $1 million-per-episode, plus the back-end profits they were hoping for.
Helberg and Nayyar have been on the show since day one, but both are on a separate level as supporting players (although that title is debatable now that we can't picture the show without them). Deadline reports that their overall deals, which also cover the next three seasons, will be worth $70 million each. (The main trio’s deals are worth $90 million in total each.) They will also get a cut of back-end profits.
Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, who both joined the show later, are also on their own level and renegotiated their contracts last year.
With the contract situations solved, Warner Bros. TV issued a statement that confirmed production on the eighth season will begin tomorrow, notes TheWrap.
Back in March, CBS made the surprising move of renewing the show for three more seasons and the new deals cover the actors through the end of that. The new season begins on Sept. 22.
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