Brad Pitt’s backing out of “State of Play” has left Universal Pictures in a bit of a fixture and reportedly trying to sign Russell Crowe instead.

Trade paper Variety reports that Universal Pictures has set its eyes on Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe to replace Brad Pitt in the political drama “State of Play.”

It was announced late last week that Pitt had exited the project to which he had been attached for over a year; the reasons for his exit are still open to speculation, with some saying he was not pleased with the script.

Universal Pictures now claims Pitt left a pay-or-play commitment, which entitles them to sue the actor. He was meant to star alongside Edward Norton, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn and Jason Bateman in a political drama centered around a murder that puts a politician’s career in jeopardy.

Universal reportedly spent the weekend trying to convince Russell Crowe to accept the part Pitt relinquished, that of a former campaign manager who becomes involved in a newspaper’s investigation of the murder of a congressman’s girlfriend. The shady congressman is to be portrayed by Norton, while McAdams and Bateman are set to interpret investigative journalists with the paper. Wright Penn has signed to play the politician’s estranged wife.

Variety reports that Pitt’s representatives claim he never signed a pay-or-play deal, as he never approved of the film’s script, which underwent multiple and unsatisfactory changes over time.

Pitt was reportedly dissatisfied with Universal’s decision to start filming without waiting for the end of the ongoing writers’ strike and a re-write of the script, per Variety.

As to supposed weekend negotiations with Crowe, who recently made box office glory with “American Gangster,” alongside Denzel Washington, the results are expected to become known this week.

Universal is in a tight spot; Crowe is due to begin filming the Ridley Scott-directed Universal drama “Nottingham” in March – if “State of Play” cannot be fitted in the actor’s schedule, the project could become a significant loss for the studio. Postponing production any further is not an option, as Helen Mirren, set to portray the newspaper’s tough editor, has another project lined up as well.

Kevin Macdonald has signed to direct “State of Play,” with Andrew Hauptman and Working Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner producing. Paul Abbott, creator of the 2003 British miniseries on which the film will be based, is executive producer.

The original script was penned by Matthew Michael Carnahan, with Peter Morgan, Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray performing rewrites, reports Variety.