People Like Dunne

Can Dominick Dunne do it again for NBC?

Last February, his best-selling “The Two Mrs. Grenvilles” was a top-rated miniseries for the net. (Parts I and II both snared top-10 spots.) Now comes word that his “People Like Us”--to be published by Crown in the spring--has been acquired by producer Chuck McLain for another NBC mini.

A source tells us that Dunne--who’s still wrapping up work on the book!--will be a consultant to the project, which is all about New York jet-setters, “the people who go to Mortimer’s for lunch everyday--those kind of people.”

(They’re the kind of folk who’ve become Dunne’s specialty, earning him the title--from a critic for the Dallas Morning News--”America’s leading chronicler of the life styles of the rich and infamous.”)

According to a spokesman for NBC, it’s too early for any details--”though you’d certainly be safe to say we’re hoping for the same kind of numbers (ratings) we got with ‘Mrs. Grenvilles.’ ”

Speaking of numbers, another source tells us that Dunne got “a substantial six figures--in the high sixes” for book rights. And that there were more than half a dozen offers made. “All this, and the book’s not even out yet. Which tells you how hot this book will be.”