A rumor posted on unitedhollywood.com, and substantiated by an article in Variety, suggests the DGA is on the verge of having reached a deal with the AMPTP, if not having done so already. What this means for the WGA isn't entirely clear: United Hollywood cautions that "everyone stay calm," and give WGA negotiators an opportunity to "analyze the terms of that deal and see if they're acceptable to us as a guild or not," but picketing writers have already begun to express optimism that it will provide an acceptable template for their own. Certainly, it should hearten anyone to know that the same union that reps such highly opinionated and demanding artists as Michael Bay was able to reach a swift and workable solution, without the Transformers director even once leaning over the bargaining table to suggest to Nick Counter through a megaphone that his offer was, "BEEEEEEEP...a FUCKING JOKE, OLD MAN."

· CBS announces that it will stream episodes of its shows (at least the ones it fully owns) on its broadband Innertube channel the day after they initially air on the "real" network. The online shows will still be ad-supported, so those looking to destabilize CBS's business model should still watch on DVR and blast through the commercials. [Variety]
Naturally, no plan to use a new platform for the delivery of creative content would be complete without an attempt to fuck the various Guilds in the ass. [Variety]
Fox Searchlight lands Wes Anderson's next project, Dajeerling Limited, which will employ Anderson regulars Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman, and, we hope, trusty safecracker/manservant Kumar Pallana. [THR]
Declining XM and Sirius stock prices have investors saying that the two satellite radio providers should merge, raising the tantalizing possibility that Howard Stern could one day browbeat new co-host Oprah Winfrey into riding the Sybian. [THR]
In what could be an epic brood-off, Focus Features signs up Mark Ruffalo and Joaquin Phoenix to star in the adaptation of the novel Reservation Road, with Ruffalo playing a character who flees the scene after running over Phoenix's son. [Variety]

· The ascendance of more militant leadership factions at the Writers and Screen Actors Guilds has Hollywood fearing that the unions may strike instead of just rolling over and accepting their usual buggering over residuals when their contracts are up. [Variety]
· Matthew Perry signs on to play a depressed screenwriter who only seems perky (i.e., a successful writer) in the dark comedy Numb. [THR]
· Concierge-battering roughneck Russell Crowe invites jokes about ironic movie titles by signing up to star in the "indie thriller" Tenderness. [Variety]
· Renee Zellweger takes a bold career step backwards, joining the cast of Paramount's creepy-kid-who-will-wind-up-stealing-every-scene-she's-in horror flick Case 39. [THR]
· Woody Allen dumps his Parisian mistress and returns to the comforting bosom of his recent London-based fling. [Variety]