Some say she was, others say she did herself in. What's the truth? Also today: James Franco heads to a comedy, a popular teen book from yesteryear becomes a movie, a new Daily Show?, and Ashton Kutcher.

Yesterday it was announced that Megan Fox, thumb-demon from the planet Gorgeousanyway, is not going to be able to finish what she started when she first waged war with the robots. Yes, she will not be appearing in Transformers 3. Quel dino-dommage! But what happened? Apparently Shia will be pursuing a new love interest in the film (Frances McDormand has been cast, just sayin'...) and they felt that Megan's really complex storyline had run its course. But now Fox is saying that it was she, SHE!, who decided to leave. Because, you know, her burgeoning career and all. So who do you believe? I think they probably told her she wasn't in it but gave her the opportunity to say that she decided to quit and then they just parted ways and that was that. In related news, the entire eighth grade class at St. Sebastian's school for boys has keeled over dead. Well except for Oliver and Grady, who couldn't care less. [People]

Many moons after leaving the Daily Show and watching it get revamped in wildly successful fashion, Craig Kilborn is trying out his own take on actual news of the day. The Kilborn File will air in select markets (New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Phoenix, Detroit and Austin) starting at the end of next month. He'll talk about politics and pop culture and have a panel of guests and stuff. So it's Daily Show meets the Chelsea Handler program meets Real Time. Sounds kinda sad, honestly. [Variety]

Caramel surprise James Franco has been cast in the comedy Ricky Stinicky. The movie is about a bunch of guy friends who invent another friend to use as an excuse whenever they want to get away from their nagging wives/girlfriends. Eventually the horrible, annoying women want to meet this Ricky Stinicky, so they hire an actor (this is where our little coffeecake comes in) to play the fellow. This sounds mildly charming in a low-rent Apatowian way. What tall, blandly pretty actresses do you think they'll get to play the wives/girlfriends? Well there will have to be one uglyish one, you know, the funny one. That's how the tired formula works. Sigh. At least the title is really good. [Deadline]

So they've finally gotten around to making a movie based on the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower, that mid-'90s, oddly childish paean to the pains of adolescence, specifically a boy's freshman year in high school. And now they have two cast members. Up-and-coming future (current?) heartthrob Logan Lerman will play the wallflower, while Emma Watson, Hermione Granger herself, will play his love interest. Well, at least we're assuming she plays the love interest. She could be playing molesty Aunt Alice, but... we're assuming that's not the case. This could be good! It could also be terrible. [Variety]

Walden Media, the family-friendly (read: Christian) production house behind the Narnia movies, has bought the rights to a children's book called Cosmic, which is described as "Apollo 13 meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Eyugh. OK. This is another British book purchased and produced by the company, which came under fire for tinkering with The Dark Is Rising so much that the movie was unrecognizable. (Or so I hear.) I can't wait for Walden's big inspirational true-life story, Texas Board of Education. Janine Turner's gonna be great in that one! [THR]

America's modern day Jimmy Stewart, Ashton Kutcher, has plans to executive produce a CW reality dating show called Geek Meets Girl, about a hot babe going out with a lame guy. Kutcher has mined this territory before, with Beauty and the Geek, which was actually sort of an enjoyable show. But why is it never Geek Meets Guy? Is the thought of an attractive man, or any man really, dating an unattractive woman just so completely ludicrous? I mean it is, but I'm just playing devil's advocate. Even dorky guys deserve a hot babe to parade around. But dorky girls? They deserve nothing. Nothing. Ever. Loneliness is all they should ever come to expect from life. That's the lesson that Ashton Kutcher's reality shows have taught us. [Variety]