A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : CASTING ABOUT : At This Point, It’s Less Than a Riddle

Director Tim Burton is well under way on Warner Bros.’ “Batman Returns” with stars Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito in the most prominent roles. But, even though shooting began four weeks ago on Warner’s Burbank lot, the director appears still to be casting some of the lesser parts.

New “Designing Woman” Jan Hooks and three other actors were recently added to the “Batman” cast.

But there’s another name that keeps popping up as a possible: Would you believe Pee-wee Herman as The Riddler?

That’s been the buzz in town at least since gossip Janet Charleton, appearing on Joan Rivers’ talk show, put the word on the street about two weeks ago.

Here’s the word from Burbank: a great commercial idea--too bad it’s not true.

A source close to the movie said that not only isn’t Herman in it, but The Riddler character isn’t either. But it’s possible, added the source, that Burton might cast his old friend Paul Reubens in the movie.

“This is all speculation right now,” the source noted. “Nothing has been decided. Nothing is on paper. There’s talk maybe of Paul maybe appearing in a scene. But it’s still just talk. If he did appear, it would have been nice to have it as a surprise--which would be difficult to do now.”

The public has been eager to find out about Reubens’ next move since the furor created by the startling news of his arrest in an adult movie theater in his hometown of Sarasota, Fla., in July on charges of indecent exposure.

Since then, he has been largely a recluse. Herman made his first post-scandal public appearance--a brief, surprise guest shot--at the beginning of the MTV Awards show Sept. 5. It caused a sensation.