A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : EDDIE, HIMSELF : Mickey . . . Murphy . . . Whatever--Why Haggle Over a Crummy 4 Million Bucks?

A former child star now struggling to cope in an adult world?

That’s how audiences may see Eddie Murphy in his next movie, a comedy project now in development at Disney. Sources say Murphy is “very interested” in the story and awaiting a rewrite of the script before deciding whether to commit.

But there’s more than story to this story: Sources say Disney and Murphy are wrangling over his salary. Murphy, whose base salary on “Another 48 HRS.” was $12 million, is balking at Disney’s offer of $8 million, sources say.

In the untitled story, Murphy--the grown child star--goes into partnership with his former agent and tries to build a clientele of child actors. Their talent agency business, however, can’t get off the ground and Murphy is in desperate straits.

Then a 12-year-old actress with loads of talent comes into his life--and the business starts turning around. One source familiar with the project likens the relationship between Murphy and the girl to the prickly partnership of Ryan O’Neal and daughter Tatum in the film “Paper Moon.”

The script is being written by Marc Lawrence, formerly co-executive producer of the NBC series “Family Ties,” and produced by Scott Rudin for Disney’s Touchstone Pictures.

If Murphy--who is considered one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars--accepts the project, it would be his first film since last summer’s “Another 48 HRS.” Murphy still owes Paramount Pictures two more movies under a production contract, but the studio recently granted him the right to make his next movie elsewhere.