Megan Fox & Adam Scott Play The Yes/No Show

You'd think that when the answer to all the questions is either "yes" or "no," an interview should always go off without a hitch. But sometimes guests on Josh Horowitz's "After Hours" interview program, "The Yes/No Show," just miss out on opportunities to do awesome pirate accents. Stopping by "The Yes/No Show" in support of their new movie "Friends With Kids," Adam Scott and Megan Fox took the opportunity to answer a few "simple" questions that are supposed to have "simple" answers. A quick run down: Scott is appropriately jealous of his "Parks and Rec" co-star Nick Offerman and his mustache. Megan Fox can tell the Olsen twins—and presumably Elizabeth Olsen—apart. Plus, she would totally star in a Gobots movie. Unfortunately, when given the awesome opportunity to talk in either a pirate or British accent, Fox and Scott claimed they could do the voice, but then didn't. What gives? What did you think of "The Yes/No Show" with Adam Scott and Megan Fox? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Stan Lee Vs. Stan Lee: The Epic Legal Follies of a Comics Mastermind

In February, a federal court threw out a suit filed by Stan Lee Media Inc. against Paradox Entertainment - a failed attempt for the plaintiff to regain the intellectual-property rights of the Conan comic character. It might seem odd enough that a company sues for a claim to the proceeds of a film that lost tens of millions of dollars last summer, but odder still is that Stan Lee himself - the comic-book mastermind responsible for The Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man, and hundreds of other iconic characters - was neither the plaintiff nor the defendant in that suit. As has been the case for over a decade, the legal wrangling surrounding Lee has been as convoluted and nonsensical as the script to Elektra, and it will only get more confounding on Thursday, when a new federal case comes to trial pitting SLMI against its namesake himself. That's right: Stan Lee Media is suing Stan Lee over characters created by Stan Lee. Figuring out how an individual becomes a defendant in a case filed by the company bearing his name is an effort nearly as heroic as his own characters' feats. It involves Lee bouncing between companies during repeated bankruptcies and determining where he was when activities took place. It also involves a company refusing to back down despite losing numerous judgments, and despite the exodus of the eponymous leader. Much of the acrimony dates back to the 1990s, when Lee was still the figurehead at the then-struggling Marvel. Throughout that decade the comic company over-leveraged acquisitions and hemorrhaged enough money to land in bankruptcy. By 1998, the company used that proceeding to end Lees contract of $1 million annual salary for life. Stan Lee left Marvel and started a new company, Stan Lee Entertainment (soon becoming SLMI) as a way to maintain control over his intellectual property. The company was started by Lee with a close friend, Peter F. Paul - a man with a checkered history of federal drug and conspiracy convictions for crimes including, but not limited to, selling $8.7 million worth of "nonexistent coffee" to Fidel Castro. Paul was to have an equally troubled future that would soon ensnare his new partner Lee. Initially the company made an impact with online animated comics, developing new characters on Web sites with the expectation of spinning them off into various media. The company enjoyed initial success. The creation known as The 7th Portal, for starters, had been acquired by Fox television for foreign broadcast, and was featured as a 3-D attraction for Paramount Theme Parks. Like so many digitally-based companies of the era, SLMI foundered with the bursting tech bubble. Then, after Peter Paul secured a bridge loan to prop up the struggling enterprise, he and numerous board members dumped large amounts of holdings ahead of the ultimate stock collapse. The Securities and Exchange Commission feared insider trading, and Paul feared the SEC - so he fled for Brazil. The company's stock price plunged to $.13 per share by the end of 2000, and it filed for bankruptcy in February 2001. Two key events occurred during this time. Sensing both SLMI's downfall and encroaching legal troubles, Lee founded POW! Entertainment - a new company that was strictly his own. He transferred the rights of his properties to POW! during bankruptcy and then departed SLMI. Additionally, in November of 2000, SLMI had negotiated for ownership of the Conan franchise. This came from purchasing all outstanding shares of rights-holder Conan Properties in exchange for SLMI stock, with a minimum price attached. It didn't take long for this deal to become compromised: The next month, following the stock dump by Paul and other officers, SLMI was delisted from trading by NASDAQ. Sitting in possession of worthless holdings, Conan Properties sued for a reversal of the sale, and in 2002 a bankruptcy court returned the rights to the company. (It eventually sold those rights to Paradox, a Swedish entertainment entity which shepherded the latest Conan film to the screen with Lionsgate.) The latter events coincided with Marvel's incredible comeback. Led by Vice Chairman (and longtime Marvel power broker) Isaac Perlmutter, the company had climbed out of bankruptcy by licensing the film rights for several of its highest-profile characters including Spider-Man (which Sony would soon develop into a box-office behemoth), X-Men and the Fantastic Four (both successfully adapted by Fox). In light of this swift, lucrative reversal of misfortune, Lee brought suit against Marvel for terminating his contract and demanding payment on the promise of 10 percent of profits earned by characters of his creation. Yet even while he pursued this lawsuit, Lee - and his intellectual property - returned to Marvel. Here is where the dispute regarding rights to Lee's characters, and whether they ever actually left Marvel, is focused - a dispute SLMI has been trying to win for years and which this week's trial will attempt to settle once and for all. In 2005, Marvel and Lee settled their case before going to jury; the court records were sealed, although Marvel later reported a $10 million write-down with regard to Lee. Meanwhile, that same year, Peter F. Paul was extradited from Brazil, earning four years of house arrest and 10 years imprisonment after separate plea deals in his SLMI stock-manipulation case. Once he returned to the States, a new group of his acolytes organized as board of directors for SLMI. Since then the company has been rather adept at filing - if not quite winning - lawsuits. Routinely, its legal attempts at securing the rights to comic characters have been denied or dismissed entirely in courts from NY to Los Angeles to Colorado. One suit sought to unseal the 2005 Lee/Marvel settlement in search of proof that Lee left Marvel in 1998 with the rights to his characters. Such a discovery would seemingly prove that Lee brought those rights to SLMI after Marvel spiked his contract and before fleeing SLMI with them illegally. Ultimately SLMI wants to prove that Lee was colluding with Marvel to cover the rights transfer in their 2005 settlement, thus entitling Marvel to full rights while Lee shared in huge profits. In dismissing that case in February 2011, U.S District Judge Robert Sweet summarized the lack of standing SLMI held as the intervening party, writing, "Their alleged mutual misrepresentations regarding the action's real party in interest, and their mutual mischaracterization of the nature and effect of the Marvel/Lee Employment Agreement have not been established." Lack of standing has done little to stop SLMI in its legal lurches. It took nine years following the bankruptcy ruling before the board decided to spring up suddenly with its claim to the rights of Conan; it cannily filed that lawsuit the very day Conan debuted in theaters last August. The judge in that case last month rejected the companys claims, stating that SLMI could not demonstrate proper standing and harm. That makes sense: The company dissolved one month following the Conan rights deal and had no funds to create any product; hard to show harm when you have nothing to show at all. Rather than a formidable archenemy from Lee's imagination, Stan Lee Media Inc. instead resurfaces with all the predictability and impotency of a villain defeated repeatedly in a serialized superhero saga. Nevertheless, SLMI forges ahead undeterred with its legal process - largely because the company has nothing to lose; it has not produced anything in over a decade. It doesn't even have a functioning Web site. Making a play for some of the most lucrative properties in Hollywood is all Stan Lee Media Inc. has in its arsenal, and the potential windfall is enough to motivate continuous torts. In a bit of understatement, Judge Sweet alluded to this possible perpetuity when he wrote, "Because of the success of the characters and the conflicting claims concerning their rights, it has been difficult to achieve finality." Should a loss in this weeks case send SLMI away for good, it still wont be the end of the lawsuits regarding these properties. The estate of Jack Kirby, a former collaborator of Lee, has also taken to the courts regarding copyrights of characters he also had a hand in creating. Expect Marvel and its corporate parents at Disney to be gathering an Avengers team of lawyers in their defense for years to come. Brad Slager has written about movies and entertainment for Film Threat, Mediaite, and is a columnist at CHUD.com. His less insightful impressions on entertainment can be found on Twitter. [Photos via Shutterstock; Illustration: Movieline]

Publicist Helen Rhodes dies

Former longtime Warner Bros. publicist Helen Rhodes has died on Tuesday, Feb. 28, in Los Angeles of natural causes. She was 81. Rhodes worked in Warners' international advertising and publicity department for 33 years until her retirement at age 74.She was a vice president of the Publicists Guild, continuing her involvement after it merged with the International Cinematographers Guild and sitting on the Publicists Awards Committee until last year. In 1998 she received the Les Mason Award, the guild's top honor. During her career she worked closely with members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.Rhodes is survived by her a son, a daughter and a grandson.Funeral service will be held at Mt. Sinai in Burbank at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 4. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

BOX OFFICE: Fridays Act Of Valor Enduring #1, Good Deeds Middling #2, Wanderlust And Gone Bombing #8 And #9

FRIDAY10 PM:It’s another up weekend for that eighth straight week publish Year’s,+4% over this past year. My sources sayRelativity’s R-ratedAct Of Valor isNo. 1based around the Bandito Siblings’ U.S. Navy fighting pressure tale(and taking advantage of actual Closes). Relativity acquired the privileges towards the project last June for $13 million along with a $$ 30 million in prints and advertising commitment -the greatest money taken care of a finished film by having an unknown cast in those days.Viewers gave it an ‘A’ CinemaScore, which Lionsgate’s romantic dramaGood Deeds also received. It makes sense middling for Tyler Perry not crossdressing as Madea. Universal’s alleged comedyWanderlust is bombing worse than expected while audiences gave it a ‘B-’ CinemaScore. The mixture of Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd demonstrated toxicto moviegoers. (FYI: this greenlight was the studio’s payback to director David Wain and producer Judd Apatow.) Also tanking is Summit’s thriller Gone starring Amanda Seyfried which gained merely a ‘C+’ CinemaScore.I’m certain the very best 10 order can change by morning: keep in mind that kids around the New England are from school a few days ago so family holdover Warner Bros’ Journey 2 might be more powerful. Here’s the very best Ten (order based on Friday grosses): 1. Act Of Valor (Relativity) NEW [3,039 Theaters] Friday $9.4, Est Weekend $27M 2. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds (Lionsgate) NEW [2,132 Theaters] Friday $6.3M, Est Weekend: $17.5M 3. The Vow (Screen Gems/The new sony) Week 3 [3,038 Theaters] Friday $3.2M, Est Weekend $9.7M, Est Cume $101.9M 4. Safe House (Universal) Week 3 [3,052 Theaters] Friday $3.1M, Est Weekend $10.3M, Est Cume $96.6M 5. Journey 2 three dimensional (Warner Bros) Week3 [3,350 Theaters] Friday $3.0M, Est Weekend $12.5M, Est Cume $77.2M 6.What This Means Is War (Fox) Week 2 [3,189 Theaters] Friday $2.8M, Est Weekend $9M,Est Cume $33.2M 7.Ghost Driver 2 three dimensional (The new sony) Week 2 [3,174 Theaters] Friday $2.3M (-66%), Est Weekend$8M,Est Cume $36.3M 8. Wanderlust (Universal)NEW [2,002 Theaters] Friday $2.5M, Est Weekend $7M 9. Gone (Summit)NEW [2,186 Theaters] Friday $1.7M, Est Weekend $4.6M 10. Secret Realm Of Arrietty (Disney)Week 2 [1,522 Theaters] Friday $1.1M, Est Weekend $5M,Est Cume $14.2M

Jersey Shore's Ronnie and Vinny on Sex, Stalkers and Snooki

J.K. Rowling Since the Harry Potter era is finished, author J.K. Rowling is moving onto bigger and things: She's written and it is set to write her first novel to have an adult audience, Little, Brown and Company, the book's writer, introduced Thursday.Browse the relaxation of present day news"Although I have loved writing it just as much, my next book can be really dissimilar to the Harry Potter series," stated Rowling inside a statement. "The liberty to understand more about new territory is really a gift that Harry's success has introduced me, and knowning that new territory it appeared may well progression to possess a new writer."Oscar Nominees: Who'll win?David Shelley, writer from the Little Brown Book Group within the U.K., assists as Rowling's editor around the book's U.K. version, and Michael Pietsch, executive v . p . of Little, Brown and Company, will result in publication within the U . s . States.Further particulars concerning the book, including its title, subject and release date, are stated to become launched later this season.Can you read a grownup novel by Rowling or does your heart still fit in with Harry?

I Am Legend sequel in development

WhenI Am Legendscooped £368 million at the box office, there was almost immediate talk of a sequel. The follow-up was initially rumoured as a prequel, detailing the fall of mankind, but the project never came to fruition.However, Warner Bros have breathed new life into the return of the plague-ridden thriller. I Am Legend, based on the 1954 novel by Richard Matheson, saw Will Smith battle to survive a desolate Manhattan. His only companion was his pet dog after a disease savagely wiped out most of humanity, turning a select (and unlucky) few into rampant, bloodthirsty monsters. The film's ending saw Smith's character, Robert Neville - spoiler alert - sacrifice his life to save other survivors and despite this, it seems the star could potentially play a part in the new film. Smith's production company, Overbrook Entertainment and producer Akiva Goldsman are on board, with new screenwriter Arash Amel taking the writing duties. Details are hazy at present, so whether Smith will be appearing is not yet confirmed, but if the film's plot doesn't delve into the events prior to the plague then there is another route open to Arash Amel. An alternate endingsaw Neville survive the third-act, perhaps giving the studio enough room to continue Neville's story. Will Smith has largely taken a step back from acting over the last few years with Hancock (2008) and Seven Pounds (2008) being his most recent outings before Men In Black III hits our cinema screens in May.

Gina Carano Finds Be Employed In The Blood stream

She'll star in John Stockwell's thrillerAfter kicking major arse (and blending the existence from Michael Fassbender) in Haywire, Gina Carano has showed up her next gig: she'll star in John Stockwell's action thriller Inside The Blood stream.Bennett Yellin and James Robert Johnston written the script, which finds a husband disappearing throughout holiday along with his wife inside the Caribbean. Assuming that he's been destroyed, the lately minted widow strikes to pursue his kidnappers and convey those to justice. By justice, we're supposing she'll punch them hard so desperately their teeth shatter."This role will showcase not only Gina's fighting capabilities, but furthermore her acting abilities as her character struggles to reign in their violent past," Stockwell notifies the Hollywood Reporter. We're supposing the man behind Blue Crush and To The Blue actually was just hunting for a reason to shoot in another tropical location. In this particular situation, which will be Puerto Rico, where Stockwell and also the team will mind later this year.Although it doesn't appear as being a huge stretch for Carano (and many a little as being a female version of Taken), i had been impressed along with her in Haywire, therefore we are glad doing receiving targeted work. Even when it's not the rom com she's itching to tackle...