Siegfried & Roy want Hopkins for pic project

GOOD MORNING: Although Anthony Hopkins is still in the "I don't want to talk about it" (work) stage, following Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" for director Julie Taymor, here's an offer he may not want to refuse. I was talking to Roy Uwe Ludwighorn, who with partner Siegfried Fischbacher -- hello! -- were filming "Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box" at the Chandler Valley Center Studios in Van Nuys. The pic's the duo's amazing life stories told in/captured on the newest technology of IMAX 3D. Siegfried and Roy have been commuting from their nightly shows at the Mirage in Vegas to oversee the scenes filming here with youngsters who portray their beginnings -- from childhood at home in Germany, later meeting on a trans-Atlantic ship on which their magic animal act was born and then on to their unparalleled success in Las Vegas, plus international recognition for their amazing animal-tronics. They have 53 white tigers and 116 white lions. "They are my family, my kids," laughed Roy. "I want to make sure they go through the next century." He feels this 3-D movie will be seen around the world through that time as well. Celebs who have seen their act in Vegas and also met with them in their private apartment (with a tiger or two around!) have included Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Presidents Reagan, Carter and Bush, Walter Cronkite, Elizabeth Taylor, Sharon Stone, Barbra Streisand, etc. ... Roy (54) and Siegfried (59) had filmed sequences for the pic last June and December in Las Vegas and on location and Roy tells me they will now start to edit the film for July preems at Lincoln Center and around the world. He said he hopes Anthony Hopkins will be the narrator of the film, on or off/camera. I asked Hopkins' longtime agent, CAA's Rick Nicita whether he thought Hopkins would consider such a unique film? "He (Hopkins) is a guy with no rules," said Rick. "Ask them to call me." They will, assures their manager, Bernie Youman. The pic is directed by Brett Leonard ("T-Rex," "Virtuosity," etc.) Michael Lewis produces for L-Squared Ent. Prods. with Lexington Road Prods. Lou Gonda is a major investor. IMAX Chairman Brad Wexler was on hand at ShoWest and at the Mirage this week ... And visiting here on the set of "Siegfried & Roy's The Magic Box" were longtime friends and their regular Vegas visitors, Ann-Margret and Roger Smith. They raved about the film to me. A-M and Roger had worked with Siegfried and Roy on "Looking to Get Out" (1980) and have been friends, and fans, ever since. Ann-Margret's now commuting to Miami and next to Dallas for Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday" in which she plays Cameron Diaz's mom.

HOLLYWOOD LOVES SIR JOHN MILLS: 24 hours after BAFTA announced he would be birthday'd at L.A.'s. TV Academy Monday, the event was a sellout, Ronnie Neame told me. Mills reciprocates for the birthday tribute (his 91st) by presenting his one-man show! In attendance, in addition to his family -- Hayley, Juliet and children -- will be Angela Lansbury, Jean Simmons, Glynis Johns, Sidney Poitier, Leslie Bricusse, Ernie Borgnine, etc. Neame, who will m.c., has been associated with Mills in four pix, "In Which We Serve," Neame as cameraman, "This Happy Breed," also as cameraman, "Great Expectations," as producer and "Tunes of Glory" as director ... Robert Guillaume, who suffered a mild stroke Jan. 14, returned to work this week for the season's final seg on ABC's, "Sports Night." Viewers will see that his character, Isaac Jaffe, also suffered a stroke. Series creator Aaron Sorkin will develop this storyline next season ... Another Italian thesp will star in a WWII film, he's Lino Bamfi,the pic, "Sciu, Sciu." It's in English and directed by Joe Sargent, who leaves for Rome Friday to ready the pix for Lux Prods. for whom he did "Abraham" last year. On his return, Sargent readies Showtime's "Bojangles," the Bill Robinson biopic starring Gregory Hines. He admits it's a near-impossible job to find a youngster to play Shirley Temple.

RED BUTTONS GOES DRAMATIC AGAIN -- this time in a seg of CBS' Early Edition" shooting in Chi. Red says he's going there for the weather! Oscar parties everywhere will be packing eateries with celebrities. At the new Pagani restaurant in West Hollywood, the Elton John/In Style mag bash to benefit Elton's AIDS Foundation will boast music, as well as film and TV stars/exex ... In N.Y., with the later three-hour time, celebs at Elaine's for Entertainment Weekly's fifth Oscar party will be able to dine before the Oscar show starts (at 8 p.m. in N.Y.). And even "Cabaret's" Alan Cumming will be able to make it from the early performance in time ... A tribute to the late Susan Strasberg will be held at the Actors Studio, L.A., at 2 p.m. today and her last interview, with Skip E. Lowe, will be re-broadcast on his Sunday p.m. radio show ... The Publicists Guild Directory of Members will be dedicated to longtime UPI Hollywood correspondent Vernon Scott at the Guild's awards lunch March 21 ... Ruda Dauphin is in L.A. lining up talent for the 25th annual Deauville Film Fest ... Judy Green dinner-partied Veronique and Gregory Peck at her Park Ave. apartment. Guests included Charlie Rose who interviewed Warren Beatty this week on "60 Minutes II" and follows with Madonna, one of Warren's earlier amours.