Megan Fox Dropped From 'Transformers 3

Megan Fox has been axed from "Transformers 3," Access Hollywood has confirmed.

A source at Paramount, the studio behind the film, told Access that Megan, who played star Shia LaBeouf's love interest in the franchise, would not return for the third movie.

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The source said that in order to take Shia's character - Samuel James Witwicky -- in a new direction, it was better if Sam wasn't tied down to a love interest.

On Wednesday night, however, reps for the actress told People that it was Megan's decision to leave the movie.

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"Megan Fox will not be starring in 'Transformers 3,'" the reps told the mag. "It was her decision not to return. She wishes the franchise the best."

A rep for Megan was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Access Hollywood on Wednesday.

Nikki Finke, who first reported the news for Deadline that Megan was out, claimed that decision was "ultimately" director Michael Bay's.

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Bay's rep was also not immediatley available for comment when contacted by Access.

The news of Megan's departure from the "Transformers 3" cast comes just months after a dispute emerged between Megan, unnamed "Transformers" crewmembers and even the director.

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Megan compared her director to "Hitler" and "Napoleon" during an interview with Britain's Wonderland Magazine's September/October 2009 issue.

"He's like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation," Megan said at the time.

"He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is," she continued. "So he's a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he's not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward."

Shortly thereafter, members of the "Transformers" crew posted an open letter on the director's site, condemning the actress for her behavior on set, calling Megan, "the grump of the set," as well as "thankless, classless, graceless" and "unfriendly."

The letter was quickly removed and Michael eventually addressed all the comments a short while later.

"I don't condone the crew letter to Megan. And I don't condone Megan's outlandish quotes," Bay wrote in a blog post on his official Web site. "But her crazy quips are part of her crazy charm. The fact of the matter I still love working with her, and I know we still get along. I even expect more crazy quotes from her on Transformers 3."

"Transformers 3" has reportedly already begun filming.

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Juno Temple eyes role of 'Musketeers' queen

source: The Hollywood Reporter

Rising indie actress Juno Temple is about to be crowned queen.

The 21-year-old British actress is in negotiations to play the royal highness in the 3D version of the classic tale of "The Three Musketeers." The project begins shooting in September with Paul W.S. Anderson directing.

Logan Lerman, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Matthew Macfayden, Christoph Waltz, Mads Mikkelsen and Milla Jovovich also star in the film.

Anderson also is producing with Impact Pictures' Jeremy Bolt and Constantin Film's Robert Kulzer. Constantin, with which Impact has a joint venture, will finance the production. Summit is distributing domestically and handling foreign sales.

The role will reunite Temple with Jovovich, both of whom recently wrapped shooting Killer Films' "Dirty Girl," in which Temple has the title role.

The actress, onscreen with Ben Stiller in "Greenberg," has been on a roll lately. In addition to "Dirty Girl," Temple recently wrapped shooting the indie feature "Goodnight Moon" with AnnaSophia Robb and is about to start production on the indie "Jack & Diane." She is repped by UTA and Troika Talent in the U.K.

Detained Iranian director started hunger strike: website

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian film director Jafar Panahi has started a hunger strike in prison, his wife told an opposition website on Tuesday.

Panahi, winner of many international awards and a supporter of opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi in last year's disputed presidential election, was arrested in early March along with his wife and daughter.

His family was later released and he was taken to Tehran's Evin prison.

"I was taken to interrogation on Sunday morning and was accused of having filmed the cell, which is a sheer lie," Panahi told his family by telephone on Tuesday, according to Jaras website.

"I have not eaten or drunk since Sunday morning and will continue to do so until these demands are met," Jaras quoted him as saying.

Panahi has demanded access to his lawyer, to receive visits by his family, and an unconditional release until a court hearing is held, his wife Tahereh Saeedi told Jaras.

The director backed Mousavi in last year's disputed presidential election, which plunged the Islamic Republic into months of political turmoil.

Iran's pro-reform opposition says the vote was rigged to secure President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election but the authorities portrayed the huge opposition protests that erupted after the vote as a foreign-backed bid to undermine the clerical establishment.

Thousands of opposition supporters were detained after the election. Most of them have since been freed but more than 80 people have been jailed for up to 15 years. Two people put on trial after the election have been executed.

Two senior French ministers last week called on Iran to free Panahi so he can take up an invitation to sit on the jury of the Cannes film festival which opened on Wednesday.

Panahi won the Camera d'Or prize at the Cannes film festival, for his 1995 movie, "White Balloon".