ROUGH WATERS

Reliable sources tell us that Kevin Bacon could take over briefly as director when cast and crew of Columbia’s much-delayed “Rites of Summer” returns shortly to shoot yet more scenes in New Zealand. Bacon plays a gung-ho outdoor leader trying to shape up a willful city kid on a teen outing that turns perilous.

Fred Bernstein, new president of production at the studio, “can’t confirm” such a switch, and said that “we’re still talking with (original director) Jeff Bleckner. He’s the director of the movie.” It’s all a matter of scheduling, according to Bernstein.

Bacon’s agent confirmed that the actor abruptly left the American Playhouse Production of Lanford Wilson’s “Lemon Sky”--due to shoot in February--to do the pickup scenes on “Rites,” which originally wrapped last year, then was pulled from the ’86 release schedule.

Bernstein said, “We wanted to bolster the white-water sequences, to make them a bigger part of the film, but got caught between seasons.” Second unit white-water scenes were shot last December, “and now we need close-ups to tie in.”

Pic is definitely scheduled for May or summer, he added.