Costner, Studio Play Hardball

Tuesday January 05, 1999 12:00 AM EST

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Kevin Costner has canceled public appearances to promote his new baseball movie "For Love of the Game," reports the Los Angeles Times, because he is miffed at Universal Studios for cutting some foul language and his butt-nekkid shower scene in order to get a PG-13 rating from the MPAA. (He told Newsweek the studio "wasn't even willing to try" to fight the ratings board and that "the love of the movies . . . is waning in Hollywood.") Universal slammed back Wednesday, accusing the meddlesome movie prince of sabotaging the very movie that was supposed to serve as his comeback after the colossal failure of "The Postman," which Costner directed and which critics called the worst film of the year.

• "Kevin's not the director (of 'For Love of the Game'), and it's not fair for him to hijack a $50 million asset," Universal Pictures co-chairman Stacey Snider told the L.A. Times. (Sam Raimi directed "Game.") Universal says Costner blew off appearances on "Today," "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and "Late Show With David Letterman" -- and only kept his appointment on the "Oprah" show because Winfrey's producers pleaded with him not to cancel on them. "Costner has been acting more like one of today's spoiled diamond divas than an old-fashioned hardball hero," the Times editorialized.