Costner’s Last Stand?

“Dances With Wolves,” in which star Kevin Costner also makes his producing-directing debut, finally wrapped Tuesday, 23 days over schedule. Some wags are referring to the film as “Kevin’s Gate,” a charge that producer Jim Wilson calls “rude--as well as a total untruth.”

Speaking from location headquarters in Rapid City, S.D., Wilson insisted that the extra filming “isn’t excessive when you consider that this is an epic that spans four seasons, and includes a lot of extras and horses--and even buffalo (2,500 of them).” Also, full-scale Indian and Civil War battles. “Not exactly an easy picture to make,” Wilson added.

Set in 1863-64, the story has Costner as a Union soldier stationed out West, where he comes to empathize with the Sioux and falls in love with a white woman (Mary McDonnell) raised by the tribe.

“Naturally, we’d have liked to have come in on schedule,” Wilson said. “But the fact is, we didn’t know when we set out to make this movie just how long it would take Kevin to direct and produce as well as star.”

Shortcuts had to be taken, including the erecting of tepees--used only for interior shots--inside a Quonset hut rather than on open prairie. “That not only saved us time, but it was also a lot more comfortable. Especially for our Indian actors--who were wearing nothing but loincloths in zero-degree weather.”

Final cost: about $16 million, roughly $1.8 million over initial projections. Costner’s TIG Productions is co-financing with Orion, which will distribute next summer.