A Pre-Casting Call on Milken Film

Robert De Niro wants to play Michael Milken.

De Niro’s production company is buying the film rights to the book “Highly Confident: The Crime and Punishment of Michael Milken,” by Vanity Fair writer Jesse Kornbluth, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Warren Beatty might be a better choice to play the central character from the 1980s insider-trading scandal. But De Niro brought the ball and bat.

De Niro should consider these choices for the rest of his cast:

* As Ivan Boesky, the ultimate arbitrager--Dustin Hoffman. Though nobody saw Hoffman play Dutch Schultz in “Billy Bathgate,” this would be a good follow-up role.

* Marty Siegel, Kidder, Peabody’s inside trader, who eventually found a conscience--Jeremy Irons, depicting the right combination of fear and greed as he picked up cash from Boesky’s courier.

* Dennis Levine, Drexel Burnham’s loose cannon--John Candy, who wouldn’t have to switch from comedy to drama.

* Fred Joseph, the head of Drexel Burnham--Derek Jacobi. From “I, Claudius” to “I run this firm, though, of course, Mike Milken makes all the money.”

* Bobby Freeman, the Goldman, Sachs arb who insisted on his innocence and got four months in jail--Kevin Costner. It’s time for Costner to get off his high horse.