Alec Baldwin will finish filming his indie Western film “Rust,” according to a statement made by the movie’s production company on Wednesday. Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins last year.
When Hutchins was shot on October 21, 2021, while Baldwin was rehearsing a scene on the movie’s New Mexico set, Rust Movie Productions sent a statement to Insider claiming that it had settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Hutchins’ family.
Hutchins Matthew noted in the announcement that “the filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will commence in January 2023 with all the original principal stars on board.” The movie’s director, Joel Souza, stated, “In my own attempts to rehabilitate, any decision to return to finish directing. For me, the movie would only make sense if Matt and the Hutchins family were there.
Upcoming “Rust” (2022) Movie Filming Locations
The production included 150 crew members, half of whom were local, 22 principals, and 230 background performers from New Mexico. The production had a 21-day filming schedule. On October 6, 2021, filming commenced in New Mexico. The Hutchins family reached a settlement in their legal dispute in October 2022.
Challenges for the Rust Movie
The deal is a rare bit of good news for Baldwin, who has had a difficult year since the shooting on October 21. When the gun went off while it was being pointed at Hutchins by the actress, who was also a producer on the movie, it killed her and wounded Joel Souza, the director. They had been in a little church when it was being prepared for a movie scene. According to Baldwin’s article, everyone has remained focused on doing what is best for Halyna’s son throughout this challenging time. We appreciate everyone who contributed to ending this regrettable and upsetting situation.
Baldwin has claimed that he did not pull the trigger and that the gun was fired accidentally. However, a recent FBI forensic investigation discovered that the trigger had to be pushed in order for the weapon to fire. The Office of the Medical Investigator in New Mexico came to the conclusion that the gunshot was an accident after an autopsy was completed and a review of police files was conducted.
Matthew Hutchins said in the statement that he had “no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame” (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). We concur that Halyna’s passing resulted from a terrible accident. I admire how the entertainment sector and producers have come together to honor Halyna’s final work. ”
Production managers on the site allegedly did not adhere to industry standards for weapons safety, which resulted in Rust Movie Productions being hit with a $137,000 fine by New Mexico occupational safety officials.
The Aftermath
Starting on April 12, 2023, the state Occupational Health and Safety Review Commission will hold an eight-day hearing on the contested penalty. It wasn’t immediately clear whether “Rust” production could continue while disciplinary issues at work were being addressed. According to Matthew Maez, a spokeswoman for the Environment Department, which upholds occupational safety laws, “We’re not categorizing this as uncooperative.” “They are proceeding according to their legal rights. Both the fine and the verdict have gone unpaid. ”
Rust Movie Productions received the maximum fine from New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau in April, and the agency also released a damning report detailing numerous safety violations, including testimony that production managers did little or nothing to address two instances of blank ammunition misfiring on the set before the fatal shooting.
According to Rust Movie Productions’ statement to safety authorities, misfires that occurred before Hutchins was fatally shot did not break safety procedures, and “proper corrective actions were performed,” including briefings of the cast and crew.
At least four more crew member lawsuits are pending, and the state of New Mexico has provided funding to cover potential criminal investigations. In a separate defamation action brought by the family of a Marine slain in Afghanistan, Baldwin is a defendant as well.
Baldwin, the movie’s producers, and the other defendants—unit production manager Katherine Walters, associate director David Halls, armorer Hannah Guttierez Reed, and ammo supplier Seth Kenney—were all brutally criticized in the Hutchins family case, which was filed in February. Halyna Hutchins’ death was caused by their “careless behavior and cost-cutting efforts,” plaintiffs’ attorney Brian Panish claimed at a news conference. Had the right procedures been followed, “Halyna Hutchins would be alive and well, hugging her husband and 9-year-old son,” the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit claimed that there was no need for a real gun during setup and that industry norms called for the use of a rubber or equivalent fake gun. Additionally, it stated that Baldwin and Halls, the people who gave him the revolver, ought to have checked it for live rounds.
