NEW MOMMY/ACTRESS CALLING IT A WRAP UNTIL NEXT YEAR.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Jada Pinkett Smith, who gave birth to a son by husband Will Smith on July 8, plans to spend the rest of the year at leisure. And then, watch out!

1999 is already stacking up as a dynamite year for the very bright, very talented actress/writer.

Over at 20th Century Fox, fine tuning is being done on ``Creole,'' a thriller Jada wrote and in which she is to star as a New Orleans cop.

Anne Heche, with whom she co-stars in Polygram's upcoming ``Return to Paradise,'' is developing a big-screen drama in which she would team with Jada.

Miramax is targeting a mid-'99 start for ``When Willows Touch,'' a coming-of-age story written by Jada about a 13-year-old girl, a film in which she would have a small role. Set in the South in the '40s, it has, she says, very much an ``Eve's Bayou'' feel.

And a 1999 production start is likely for ``Love for Hire,'' the romantic comedy Jada and Will penned about a man who is hired to impregnate a woman who wants to become a single mother.

How does Jada feel about the growing incidences of women choosing to be single parents?

``My feeling is: to each her own. But I could never choose to do this alone - I could never do this alone,'' says the new mother of Jadan Christopher Syre Smith.

Here 'n' there

John Goodman was back in his hometown of St. Louis the other night for the opening of his second Crazy Fish restaurant there. The upscale eatery was unveiled with a bash benefiting Friends of Kids With Cancer.

Alicia Witt, who played quirky daughter Zoey on ``Cybill,'' got a bit of a liberal education while she was in Toronto recently making the October-debuting big-screen horror flick ``Urban Legend,'' with heartthrob Jared Leto and Tara Reid.

She relates that one night the producer phoned a strip club and said he was bringing in his film company to the club - by the back entrance, so their presence wouldn't create a fuss. ``It turned out we entered right into the back room, which is the most notorious part of the club. There we were, just inches from booths where guys sat and women, completely naked, came over and did erotic lap dances.'' Alicia says she'd never been in a strip club before. She'll never forget this one.

One banana, two banana, second banana more

While the legions of ``Seinfeld'' fans have been wondering what the next big career steps of Jerry and his gang will be, Steve Hytner - a k a Bania - will have two features under his belt by summer's end. He's soon to begin working with Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock in the DreamWorks SKG film ``Forces of Nature.'' And he's finished the indie film ``Love Stinks,'' with French Stewart (``3rd Rock From the Sun'') and Tyra Banks. Come Aug. 10, Hytner goes back to production of his other TV series, Fred Savage's ``Working,'' on which he plays office pundit John Delaney.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois.

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3 Photos

Photo: (1) Jada Pinkett Smith

Down time with baby

(2) John Goodman

Big fish in hometown

(3) Steve Hytner

``Seinfeld'' alum doubles up