Trade Roundup: Hurt By Pitt, Universal Throwing Itself Into Crowe’s Big, Strong Arms

· A rebounding Universal tries to shake off its recent jilting by Brad Pitt by climbing into bed with Russell Crowe, inviting the actor to partake of Pitt’s State of Play sloppy seconds. [Variety]

· Report: Oscar-hopeful, artsy-fartsy films may have limited commercial appeal. [Variety]

· Ray Winstone’s CGI-tightened belly continues to be popular at the foreign box office. [Variety]· Even though it feels like there’s been nothing good to watch on HBO since the end of The Sopranos (Flight of the Conchords notwithstanding), the network’s subscriber numbers have actually risen slightly since the Best TV Show in The The History Of The World went off the air. We suppose we have no chose but to credit (at least in part) all the fucking on Tell Me You Love Me for retaining viewer interest. [THR]

· Cameron Diaz hopes that America’s tastes continue to deteriorate to the point that her new holiday special, Shrek the Halls, will take its rightful place alongside the Frosties, Rudolphs and Charlie Browns of the end-of-year TV-special season, becoming a new Christmastime tradition. [THR]