Kasdan son also rises; winding new 'Toy'

THE NAME KASDAN was on the minds of execs at five studios who fought last week over the writer/director's next film. That would be expected if the Kasdan in question was Lawrence, who wrote and directed "The Big Chill" and scripted "The Bodyguard." But the battle was waged over his son, Jake, who has been set by Castle Rock to make his feature directing debut on his script "Zero Effect," which will star Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller.

Castle Rock has given it a green light for April, making the film the first production of Manifest Film Co., the partnership between Lisa Henson and Janet Yang. They'll produce, with Manifest vice president Naomi Despres as co-producer. United Talent repped the talent package in a deal made with Castle Rock president Martin Shafer and Castle Rock production president Liz Glotzer.

Pullman plays Daryl Zero, a supersleuth who solves crimes from a distance, with his legman, Steve Arlo (Stiller) doing the dirty work. Zero's brilliant mind becomes clouded when he falls for a femme fatale who's a criminal mastermind. Kasdan wrote it with Pullman in mind, and sources said Castle Rock committed to a $12 million film, several million higher than the runners-up.

Glotzer wouldn't comment on budget, but said, "He gave us a great script and that made us all want it." Though Kasdan's directed only theater, Glotzer expressed confidence he's ready to step behind the camera with big stars, and noted that Castle Rock lucked out with such first-time writers/directors as Terry George ("Some Mother's Son") and Frank Darabont ("Shawshank Redemption").

Producer Henson added: "We've worked two months with him, and we see the hand of a director who's self-assured." UTA's John Lesher said Kasdan's script was good enough to mobilize the involvement of top agency-repped talent. "We used to help Jake cast his plays, and everyone just flipped for his script," said Lesher. "With Peter Benedek, J. J. Harris and Nick Stevens, we put a film together because everyone so believed in it."

NEW 'TOY STORY'? Dish hears that negotiations are serious for a sequel to "Toy Story," Disney's computer animation smash hit. It'll be direct to video, but supervised by the studio's feature animation unit. The big news is that the superstars who voiced the characters of Buzz Lightyear and Woody --- Tim Allen and Tom Hanks --- are in serious talks to return. The toys might not be getting raises, but the voices will. The studio said it was premature to comment.

HELEN'S JOB HUNT: Coming off last summer's hit "Twister," Helen Hunt's trying to fix on a feature project for her next hiatus from the NBC hit sitcom "Mad About You." Sources said she's just been offered a career-best $5 million to star in the Tom Ropelewski written/directed "The Next Best Thing" for Lakeshore Entertainment. She'd play a single woman who adopts a baby with her gay best friend, then becomes embroiled in a custody battle when that friend moves in with his real lover and wants the child. Several studios are fighting for custody of Hunt's hiatus slot, and she hasn't made a final decision yet.

ANDRE'S SWITCH: On the subject of TV star hiatus, "Homicide's" Andre Braugher has taken himself out of the co-starring role of the big-budget Warner Bros. pic "Sphere," directed by Braugher's TV boss, Barry Levinson. Braugher decided for personal reasons that he wanted to be close to home during his hiatus, and so he has switched to a less-arduous supporting role in "City of Angels" alongside Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. Levinson and "Sphere" got lucky: Samuel L. Jackson had an opening in his schedule, and has agreed to step in and costar with Dustin Hoffman and Sharon Stone.

STAR WARS' SALARIES: While the "Star Wars" reissue continues to clean up, Dish has discovered why its stars haven't gotten too caught up in the nostalgia: it's a painful reminder of how paltry their paychecks were for the hugely profitable pic. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher each got $1,000 per week, or a total of $10,000 in upfront money against one-quarter of one percent of net theatrical revenues on "Star Wars."

Even though backend deals are valid on reissues, the trio won't make much on the first reissue, but could clean up if the next two become blockbusters. Though Ford, Hamill and Fisher each got only $150,000 in salary for "The Empire Strikes Back," that's against one and one-half gross points. The deal on the finale was even better, as the trio each got $500,000 against two gross points for "Return of the Jedi." They got none of the toy proceeds. The figures were confirmed by Ford's agent, Patricia McQueeney, whose client now makes $20 million against a much higher gross percentage. "He's come a long way, baby," she understated.

DISHINGS: Paramount's the next studio going the reissue route. Aside from the previously announced reissue of "The Godfather," Par's eyeing "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever"... Reporters seem the only ones anxious for another season of "Seinfeld." Despite overheated press coverage, there has been zero movement toward a contract resolution between NBC and "Seinfeld" costars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards. Costars are steamed there has been no second bargaining round after a short initial sesh, where Castle Rock and NBC turned down $1 million, and star reps turned down less than $300,000 per episode. While NBC's been aloof on its most important show, Dish hears it might be causing strain on another Castle Rock show Seinfeld's exec producing. NBC's waiting for the script for a pilot starring Seinfeld-protege Mario Joyner, and sources said the net might have to move on "Seinfeld" to see it. NBC could stand for No Black Comics for current paucity of sitcoms built around African-Americans and a Joyner show could help. But if NBC loses "Seinfeld," perceived racial imbalances will be the least of their worries.