BIG NEWS

Newly nominated for the title of Hollywood heavyweight champ vs. John Candy: Comedian Louie Anderson, boasting 350 pounds.

Said Anderson, “I guess the difference is that my comedy is subtle, quiet. Candy tends to play brash--and outward. I play kind of sweet.”

He’s cast in “Ratboy” as the brother of Sondra Locke. It’s like a Friends of Clint Eastwood production: Locke, his frequent co-star on- and off-screen, is making her directorial debut. It’s “a gently off-the-wall comedy adventure,” said Warner Bros., likewise Eastwood’s studio. And it’s produced by longtime Eastwood associate Fritz Manes.

Anderson got the role after two readings and after Locke and Eastwood caught his act (“which is completely family-oriented--and clean”) at the Comedy Store.

He is sworn to secrecy about the plot. A blood oath? “No, Clint just stands over you.”