'Bewitched' rumors

Late last week Hollywood was buzzing with a rumor so ridiculous, so preposterous, it almost had to be true. Bewitched, that old ’60s TV chestnut, would be turned into a film, with no less than Meryl Streep playing the twitchy-nosed temptress immortalized by Elizabeth Montgomery.

From there, the casting gets even stranger: Dame Edna Everage playing Endora (Agnes Moorehead’s role); Jerry Seinfeld and Billy Crystal alternating as hubby Darrin (in the series, Dick Sargent replaced Dick York almost overnight, and nobody noticed); Robin Williams popping up as Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde) and Shelley Winters as nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz (Sandra Gould).

As incredible as the story sounds, it contains a sliver of truth: Bewitched is going to the big screen, with Penny Marshall (A League of Their Own) expected to produce and direct. ”The project is on Penny’s slate,” confirms a Marshall spokeswoman. ”I know Penny and Meryl are friendly, but this project isn’t even in the casting stage. It’s a hysterical idea, though. Somebody’s had a lot of fun thinking that one up.”