MOVIESBullock’s Speedy Casting: Actress Sandra Bullock, who...

MOVIES

Bullock’s Speedy Casting: Actress Sandra Bullock, who stars with Keanu Reeves in the current box-office hit “Speed,” has signed a $1.2-million deal to star in the romantic comedy “While You Were Sleeping,” to be directed by Jon Turtletaub for Disney’s Caravan Pictures. Bullock starts work on the film in about three weeks. She is also a strong contender to play the caped crusader’s girlfriend in Warner Bros.’ “Batman Forever,” but the Caravan schedule would most likely preclude her from accepting that role. (See story on “Batman” casting, Page F4).

*Cinematheque Taps Reiner: Director Rob Reiner will receive one of Hollywood’s biggest honors, the American Cinematheque Award, at the group’s annual Moving Picture Ball, to be held Sept. 9 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Reiner will be saluted for his films including “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Stand By Me,” “When Harry Met Sally . . . “ and “A Few Good Men.” Previous winners include Bette Midler, Robin Williams and Steven Spielberg.

*Grant’s a Studio Man: British actor Hugh Grant, who rose to stardom this year in the surprise box-office hit “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” will make his major studio film debut with 20th Century Fox in “Nine Months,” a remake of the French comedy about the trials and tribulations of a young couple preparing for the birth of their child. The film will be directed by Chris Columbus (“Mrs. Doubtfire”), who also wrote the screenplay.

POP/ROCK

Ike’s in the House: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Ike Turner makes a rare Hollywood appearance tonight at Sunset Boulevard’s House of Blues where he plans to record a live album with his new 16-piece soul revue, as well as shoot footage for an upcoming video. Turner, whose turbulent relationship with former wife and musical partner Tina Turner was chronicled in last year’s film “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” has been shopping for a record deal since being released from prison in 1991 after serving 18 months on cocaine charges. The legendary 62-year-old composer--whose 1951 hit “Rocket ‘88” is frequently cited by historians as the first true rock n’ roll record--isn’t above doing his own promotion for the show. “Ike is going to deliver 90 breath-holding minutes,” Turner said Thursday in a phone interview. “Man, I don’t mean to sound egotistical, but I’ve got four new girls who are gonna sing and dance their butts off and a band that won’t quit.” My advice to anybody who hasn’t seen Ike play is, ‘Do yourself a favor and don’t pass up this opportunity.”

TELEVISION

Stewart Confirmed: Paramount Domestic Television on Thursday confirmed an earlier Times report that “The Jon Stewart Show,” MTV’s hip cable talk show, will leave MTV and move over to national syndication beginning in September. “Jon Stewart” will expand to one hour and air around the country as a late-night replacement for Paramount’s canceled “The Arsenio Hall Show.” Stewart, formerly a stand-up comic, will be seen in Los Angeles weeknights at midnight on KCOP-TV Channel 13.

*Prime-Time ‘Power’: Those wildly popular teen-age superheroes, the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” are coming to prime time with a three-part live-action miniseries airing on Fox at 8:30 p.m. July 21, and 8 p.m. on both July 29 and Aug. 5. Another superhero show, the animated “X-Men,” will also air on Fox, with a two-part miniseries airing at 8:30 p.m. on July 29 and Aug. 5.

*New ABC Rules: ABC News is banning its correspondents from making paid speeches before trade associations or for-profit businesses, a practice that some consider could lead to conflicts of interest. The issue came to the fore when Sam Donaldson gave a speech for $30,000 before an insurance group that were part of a report on Donaldson’s “PrimeTime Live.”

QUICK TAKES

“Larry Sanders Show” co-star Janeane Garofalo confirms that she will join the cast of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” in September. Other new cast members are expected to be named in about a month. . . . Former “Beverly Hills, 90210” star Shannen Doherty has been cast to portray Pulitzer Prize-winning “Gone With the Wind” author Margaret Mitchell in NBC’s “Margaret,” a two-hour TV movie set to begin production next month. . . . Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, has obtained a Seattle court order against a 25-year-old man who showed up at her home and “stated that he was here to get me.” The man reportedly told a guard: “I do not care if I die tonight. I want to see Courtney.”