LOS ANGELES — In an agreement close to completion, "Tonight" host Conan O'Brien would leave NBC and free Jay Leno to reclaim the late-night show he stewarded for 17 years, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

Top NBC Universal executives and representatives for O'Brien on Friday were close to settling details of his departure, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The focus has been on how much O'Brien, who has time left on his NBC contract, would be paid for leaving and what limits NBC may put on his employment at another network.

The deal under discussion would provide for a settlement of more than $30 million and allow him to start a new show as early as this fall, the person said.

AMPUTEE HIKER'S STORY TO BECOME A FILM

SALT LAKE CITY — The award-winning director of "Slumdog Millionaire" says he plans to make a movie about the mountaineer renowned for amputating his own arm after it was pinned by a half-ton boulder while he was hiking alone in Utah.

Danny Boyle says production on the movie "127 Hours" will take place in Utah over 42 days in March and April. He says some of the filming will be done in Bluejohn Canyon, where Aron Ralston's ordeal took place.

Ralston cut off his right arm with a dull blade in 2003 after he'd been pinned for several days at the bottom of the remote canyon, near Moab. He later wrote a book about the experience, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place," which inspired the movie.

GOTTI TURNS TO A LIFE OF CRIME STORIES

NEW YORK — Now that the government has given up trying to put him in prison, John "Junior" Gotti says he may leave New York and try his hand at writing true crime stories.

The son of notorious Gambino boss John Gotti held a celebration dinner Friday at a restaurant on Long Island.

Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that after a series of hung juries they wouldn't seek a fifth retrial against the younger Gotti, who says he quit the mob in 1999.

Gotti told reporters at the dinner that he's thinking about moving south and may write a true crime book.

Gotti served nine years in prison for racketeering, but prosecutors failed to convict him of charges that he ordered several murders.

ANIMAL EXPERT PLANS STUNT WITH SNAKES

LAS VEGAS — A deadly-animal expert is planning to stay for 10 days inside a box full of snakes at a Las Vegas Strip casino as part of a reality television show.

Officials say Donald Schultz will enter the clear glass box outside O'Sheas Casino today, starting with 50 snakes inside. Plans call for five new snakes to be added to the box each day until there are 100 snakes in the box.

The stunt will be filmed for Animal Planet's "Wild Recon" series.

— Advertiser News Services