RON HOWARD ON A FACT-FINDING ADVENTURE IN FLORIDA.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Don't count Ron Howard out of the race to make ``Spiderman,'' the movie. In an exclusive interview with this column at the opening of Universal Studios Florida's fabulous new Islands of Adventure theme park, the filmmaker made a point of saying that now that James Cameron has dropped out of the ``Spiderman'' film running, ``the rights are up for grabs. That point definitely hasn't escaped my attention.''

He made that observation with an Opie-type grin and a twinkle in his eye. Ron made the trip to Florida with his buddy Steven Spielberg, who serves as Universal's creative consultant. Ron spent much of his time casing the enchanting Seuss Landing area as research for ``How the Grinch Stole Christmas,'' which rolls in August or September, with Jim Carrey starring as Dr. Seuss' grouchy Grinch. Carrey would also make a perfect Spiderman - we're sure that hasn't escaped Ron's attention, either.

How Lowe can he go?

Rob Lowe says it was his uncanny impersonation of Robert Wagner that got him his role in Mike Myers' upcoming ``Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.'' ``I'm a mimic, and Mike and I are old pals. He always had an affinity for my Robert Wagner that I used to do just for friends,'' says Lowe. In the film, he plays, ``young Robert Wagner, circa 1969, when Dr. Evil (Myers) goes back in time to steal Austin Powers' (also Myers) mojo.'' Lowe says his impersonation of the former ``Hart to Hart'' star was so dead-on, ``It got to the point where literally the sound mixers, editors and early test audiences thought R.J. had dubbed my performance.'' He also looks eerily like a young Wagner in the film, he says.

One Bonanno, two Bonanno

As you're reading this, Mafioso Joseph Bonanno may well be getting his first look at Showtime's July-airing ``Family: The Life and Times of Joseph Bonanno'' miniseries. His son Bill, an executive-producer on the project, says the editing is almost finished on the massive, six-hour production starring Martin Landau, Edward James Olmos, and many more. He lets us know that his father's doing well for a man his age. ``He turns 95 in January, and he has all the aches and pains of a 95-year-old. He has a pacemaker. Unfortunately for me, his head still works,'' adds the younger Bonanno, author of the hot new book ``Bound by Honor: A Mafioso's Story.'' ``He's seen some dailies. I said, `Dad, if I start showing you all the pieces, the dialogue - well, it's going to be a lot longer process if we have to come to a consensus about what should and should not be used.' ''

The big-screen scene

Speaking of old mobsters, a July 9 production start in Florida has been set for DreamWorks' ``The Crew'' - which will have Burt Reynolds and Richard Dreyfuss playing leaders of a pack of '60s-era swingin' wiseguys who ain't what they used to be. The farcical story line has the grumpy old gangsters getting deeper and deeper into difficulty after they find a dead vagrant and decide to use the body to fake a murder in the lobby of their South Beach Hotel - to make it less attractive to trendy types.

The unknown Baldwin

Hot young movie actor Shawn Hatosy tells us that his ``Outside Providence'' castmate Alec Baldwin can be downright hilarious. Because of his serious characters and penchant toward activism, says Hatosy - who plays Baldwin's troubled son in the August-opening drama - ``People don't realize how funny he is. He's a terrific storyteller and does wonderful accents and impersonations of people.'' Such as? ``He does hilarious impressions of his brothers.''

On the verge of breakout, Shawn has several films in the release chute, including ``Simpatico,'' with Nick Nolte, and ``Anywhere but Here,'' with Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman - yes, she of the new ``Star Wars.''

With reports by Stephanie DuBois.

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