Comedy is not the first thing that springs to mind in association with Russell Crowe, but that could soon change. The "Gladiator" Oscar winner, 37, and Imagine Entertainment (Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's production company) are developing a big-screen version of the 1965-71 CBS sitcom "Hogan's Heroes" as a starring vehicle for Crowe, says the Hollywood Reporter. The old series, now a TV Land staple, starred Bob Crane as Col. Robert Hogan and Werner Klemperer as the German Col. Wilhelm Klink. It followed the exploits of an American prisoner of war and his fellow Nazi war camp inmates as they sabotaged German war efforts. The camp commandants were portrayed as bumbling fools, and the prison itself smacked more of a fancy hotel -- complete with a French chef and steam room -- rather than what it really was. As such, the show was criticized in some quarters as trivializing those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis. According to the trade paper, the movie's screenplay, by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (collaborators whose credits include the script for "The Commitments"), portrays the characters of the TV series in a more dramatic setting.