Franchises

Often film sequels are slam dunks at the box office, a seamless continuation from where a previous hit left off. But as the new installment of the 15-year-old franchise "Men in Black" proves, getting to the big screen isn't always a cakewalk. One of the most troubled productions in recent Hollywood memory, Sony Pictures' latest movie in the Will Smith-Tommy Lee Jones sci-fi-comedy franchise encountered multiple script rewrites, a discontented star and a three-month production shutdown as writers and studio executives scrambled to fix a project that nearly fell apart . By the time it was over, the studio had run up a tab of nearly $250 million - making "Men in Black 3" one of the most expensive releases of the summer.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Clippers' Game 7 celebration started in bits and pieces on the court Sunday as the clock wound closer and closer to zero. Chris Paul barked "Let's go! We goin' finish it!" with 30.2 seconds left in the game. Caron Butler screamed "Yes, yes, yes!" as the final ticks ticked away. And when it was finally over, Mo Williams walked by the scorer's table, muttering "Big win right here, man," immensely pleased that the Clippers had won their first Game 7 in franchise history.

National park concessionaires, accused of earning excessive profits at the government's expense, have blocked release of a government audit to prevent their finances from being made public, a congressional committee said Thursday. The audit, a detailed appraisal of problems outlined in an Interior Department task force report released in April, was conducted by the agency's inspector general and contains specific profit figures for businesses that operate concessions in national parks.

The Clippers are on history's precipice. With one more win, they'll reach a milestone they've achieved only once before in Los Angeles, and only once before that in the franchise's 42-season history. Win a playoff series. If the scoreboard favors the Clippers at the conclusion of Wednesday's Game 5 in Memphis, they'll have beaten the Grizzlies, four games to one, and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals, where the wise, veteran and rested San Antonio Spurs are waiting.

Staples Center is home to four professional sports franchises, the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Sparks. Each team has a different set-up on the arena floor. It is up to the crew overseen by the Staples Center operations department to reconfigure the floor for each game. Several times a year they must make the changeover twice or more over one weekend in between games. Last Saturday afternoon, while fans were still heading for the exits after the Clippers' 103-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, 65 workers began transforming the arena for the Kings' game against the Calgary Flames that night.

Southern California chief executives who operate automobile franchises selling imported cars make considerably more annually than those with domestic franchises, according to a recent survey. The average compensation of the 118 chief executives surveyed ranged from a low of $206,000 among single-point domestic dealers to $314,000 for those owning two import franchises, according to Parke, Guptill & Co.'

Like many baby boomers, Mira Selbo had her first brush with fondue in an avocado-green earthenware pot her parents owned and that her older sister would haul out for parties. "Way back when," Selbo recalled, not very affectionately, "it was like melting Velveeta." That was in the '70s, when fondue (from fondre, French for "to melt") oozed its way into the American culinary consciousness.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment key franchises Batman/Arkham Upcoming game: Batman: Arkham City (Oct. 18) Developer: Rocksteady (Britain) Lego Upcoming games: Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (Nov. 1); Lego Batman 2 (2012) Developer: Traveller's Tales (Britain) Mortal Kombat Next sequel expected in 2013 Developer: Netherrealm Studios (formerly Midway Chicago) Lord of the Rings Ongoing game: Lord of the Rings Online Developer: Turbine (Boston)

Pinched by the recession, Phil Busman of Mission Viejo has been looking for a way to earn more money. His search took him to the annual Entrepreneur Expo in Long Beach earlier this summer. "The way wages and salaries are going," he said, "you'd be better off to try working for yourself." The same fair will open at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday for a two-day expo that will showcase product- and service-related companies looking to attract prospective entrepreneurs.

WHO says there are too many sequels? Certainly not the movie studios. In addition to new installments in the "Spider-Man," "Shrek" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, at least four other movie franchises will offer up third episodes this summer. The highest-profile entries are George Clooney in "Ocean's 13" (June 8), Matt Damon in "The Bourne Ultimatum" (Aug. 3) and "Rush Hour 3" (Aug. 10), the first starring role for Chris Tucker since the last "Rush Hour" movie came out six years ago.

The draft will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday in New York. Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the needs for each team by division. Today, the East divisions: AFC East Yet again, the Dolphins are looking for their franchise quarterback. They have the eighth pick and might use it on Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill, providing he's still on the board. The team needs a receiver, too, since it traded Brandon Marshall. The right side of the offensive line is a work in progress, and the team is perpetually looking for pass rushers.

With ownership of the Dodgers set to change hands on April 30, Commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday that Major League Baseball is working to learn more about the sale but is not trying to stop it. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved the sale last week, despite complaints from MLB attorney Thomas Lauria that the league had not gotten a fair opportunity to review the transaction. Attorneys from MLB and Guggenheim Baseball, the new ownership group led by financier Mark Walter and fronted by Magic Johnson and incoming team President Stan Kasten , have met with the court-appointed mediator this week in an effort to resolve the league's concerns.

The dust was being blown off NHL record books. Potential alliterations trotted out -- Vancouver Vanquished? -- and then discarded. The next step was thinking about measuring space for a Dustin Brown statue in front of Staples Center. There was one small matter: The Kings had to go and play the second period Wednesday night. They were 40 minutes away from sweeping Vancouver in their first-round, best-of-seven playoff series, which would have been a franchise first for Los Angeles.

When: 7:30. Where: Home Depot Center. On the air: TV: KDOC, KWHY; Radio: 1150, 1220, 1330. Records: Galaxy 1-3, Timbers 1-3-1. Record vs. Timbers (2011): 1-1. Update: With three losses in four games the Galaxy is off to the worst start in franchise history. And in the most recent loss last week in Kansas City, the Galaxy didn't even manage a shot on goal. The Timbers haven't been much better, winning just once in five tries while matching the Galaxy by conceding a conference-high eight goals.

The decision by Gary Ross and Lionsgate to part ways on "Catching Fire" has fans worrying how the new "Hunger Games" film will fare without the original director. But this is just the latest example in a long tradition of studios switching horses on a sequel. How have previous franchises turned out? Here are six comparisons. "Twilight" is perhaps the most famous of all recent cases, and the one to which "Catching Fire" is now most often being compared. In late 2008, after studio Summit and "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke haggled over issues large and small, Summit hit the reset button and hired Chris Weitz to handle the second film.

Finally, Frank McCourt made what appears to be his best decision ever on behalf of the Dodgers: He sold the team to a group that includes a local, business-savvy sports legend, an experienced baseball executive and the head of a deep-pocketed financial services company. Some of that lineup may be window-dressing, but at least the McCourt era is ending and a new one is beginning. What may determine the success of this era is how much the new owners are prepared to invest in the team, developing a roster of top-tier talent and making necessary renovations to the stadium.

Ask entrepreneurs if they've thought of franchising their businesses and watch the gleam in their eyes. With 2,400 franchise companies and 500,000 franchises in operation across the country, cloning a successful business is tempting. But it's not as easy as you might think, according to Mark Frydman and Robert (Goody) Goodman, principals in Box Bros., a Canoga Park packing and shipping company that is struggling to launch its franchise program.

The International Franchise Assn., which is holding its annual convention in San Diego this week, is hoping for a "damned good recession," quipped President Don DeBolt. That's because a healthy stock market and rising economy have made potential franchise buyers less prone to "look at options," or make bold career moves, such as acquiring a dry cleaning, hamburger, office products or automotive franchise. DeBolt said U.S.

It sounds so good. You trade Magic for McCourt and how can it be a bad deal? But then you know me, Clayton Kershaw goes eight wonderful innings and all I can think about is Jonathan Broxton warming up. Photos: Great moments in Dodgers history I hear Magic Johnson's name and I'm wondering who picks Nancy Bea Hefley up off the floor knowing Lon Rosen is attached at the hip to Magic....

Former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, who made an unsuccessful bid to buy back the franchise his family ran for nearly half a century, said Wednesday he was delighted that a group fronted by Lakers legend Magic Johnson would become the new owner of the Dodgers. "I've always said I want it in the right hands," O'Malley said. "It doesn't have to be my hands. " O'Malley had publicly faulted outgoing owner Frank McCourt for tarnishing the Dodgers' name in the community. "What I really like about Magic's involvement is that Magic is so popular here in Los Angeles," O'Malley said.