Movies

Alec Baldwin’s deadly western movie ‘Rust’ finally makes it to the screen

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Approximately three and a half years following the tragic on-set shooting incident in New Mexico, Alec Baldwin’s western film will now be making its debut.

During the filming of the movie on October 21, 2021, Baldwin unintentionally fired a gun, striking the 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Sadly, she passed away that same day. This unfortunate event led to numerous investigations, lawsuits, and ultimately two court trials.

Starting from late Thursday, viewers can stream the movie “Rust” for $14.99 on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, as well as other video-on-demand services. From Friday, this film will also be playing on large screens at Laemmle’s theaters in Encino and Santa Monica.

The makers initially aimed to showcase “Rust” at prominent film festivals within the industry, yet opted for a debut in Poland instead. Unfortunately, Netflix and other streaming services declined to take on the movie, which is produced by Alec Baldwin, Anjul Nigam, Ryan Donnell Smith, and others.

In the movie, Joel Souza served as the director. Unfortunately, he got hurt during filming when Alec Baldwin’s prop gun accidentally discharged while they were rehearsing a scene. Hutchins, who was nearby, and Souza were in close proximity at the time. The bullet hit Souza in his shoulder.

In July, Baldwin was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter charges brought against him by New Mexico authorities. In this new role, he portrays Harland Rust, a rugged outlaw. His character endures a gunshot wound while attempting to aid his 13-year-old grandson Lucas, played by Patrick Scott McDermott, in their escape to Mexico after the boy accidentally kills a rancher. The movie is set in the 1880s.

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In October 2021, I tragically lost my life as a cinematographer on the filming set of “Rust.” However, come July 2024, the court dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charges brought against Alec Baldwin, the lead actor involved in this unfortunate incident.

After Hutchins’ death near Santa Fe, N.M., the film shut down production.

Authorities such as Santa Fe County sheriffs and New Mexico’s workplace safety officials assumed control over Bonanza Creek Ranch, the original filming site, to probe into the shooting incident. The sheriff’s investigation extended beyond a year, leading to criminal charges against three individuals: Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez, and assistant director David Halls, who oversaw on-set safety.

In the first week of Baldwin’s high-profile court case in July, the presiding judge threw out all the accusations against him. This decision came after discovering misconduct by the special prosecutor and investigators, who were alleged to have concealed possible evidence from Baldwin’s legal team.

Earlier this year, Baldwin filed a malicious prosecution civil lawsuit against New Mexico.

By March 2024, Hannah Gutierrez, the original armorer for the film, had been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. She has already served approximately 14 months in prison and is anticipated to be discharged later this month as per her attorney, Jason Bowles.

In my own words, I’d say: I, being a bystander, acknowledge that Halls pled no contest to the charge of negligent handling of a lethal weapon, specifically one count. During the Gutierrez trial, I heard him testify about the lasting emotional impact he endured and revealed his departure from the film industry since then, due to this traumatic event.

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On the day of the unfortunate incident when actor Alec Baldwin inadvertently fired a weapon and hit cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, David Halls – who is associated with ‘Rust’ as an assistant director – testified during Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s trial.

Filmmakers have said they wanted to finish the film as a tribute to Hutchins and her artistry.

According to sources connected with the project, insurance payouts necessitated the movie’s distribution. The earnings from this release will be utilized towards resolving a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hutchins’ spouse, Matthew, and their child, who took on an executive production role in the film.

Hutchins’ family in Ukraine have separately filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

After a break of roughly 18 months following Hutchins’ passing, cinematographer Bianca Cline stepped into the role of director of photography during the filming’s resumption in Montana.

In my opinion, when I sat down to watch this film, I noticed some significant shifts in the main cast. Unfortunately, actors like Jensen Ackles and Swen Temmel did not make it to the final cut of the production.

Baldwin’s co-stars include Josh Hopkins, Travis Fimmel and Frances Fisher.

Originally, the movie began in a countryside setting of Kansas, and later moved to the arid southwestern deserts. However, instead of Kansas, the story now commences in the wilderness of Wyoming, with its towering mountain ranges serving as the backdrop.

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Rust Productions Makes Personnel Adjustments, Unveils Plans for a Documentary on Halyna Hutchins, Slated to Resume Filming in the Spring.

The New Mexico film set was troubled before the accident.

On the eve of filming, camera team members resigned due to expressing worries about safety issues, such as unintended gunfire incidents and insufficient accommodation options, to line producers. Earlier, these same camera team members had expressed hope to The Times that production would be temporarily halted to attend to their concerns.

On that particular day, the production team found themselves in a bind due to an overrun schedule, which left us without our usual luxury – a media village for real-time monitoring of scenes. Consequently, we had to adapt and work with a smaller camera crew on set.

In the movie, Hutchins aimed to capture a powerful scene featuring Baldwin seated on a worn-out church pew. Gradually, he drew a fake gun from its holster and directed it towards the camera for the shot.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Souza reflected on the series of unfortunate choices that set things in motion that fateful morning. He now wishes he hadn’t written the movie at all.

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For Subscribers

The day Alec Baldwin shot Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza

Accounts from various team members of the “Rust” production detail an unfolding sequence of questionable choices, leading to a disorganized filming environment where a live bullet ended up in a prop gun.

At Falling Forward Films, they’ve managed the traditional theater releases, while Ascending Media Group takes care of the video-on-demand screenings. The movie spans a duration of 2 hours and 13 minutes.

Additionally, Hutchins’ comrades produced a film titled “Last Take: Rust and the Tale of Halyna,” which can be found streaming on Hulu.

At the moment, Baldwin and his spouse, Hilaria, feature on a TLC series that offers a glimpse into their bustling lifestyle with their brood of seven kids.

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2025-05-01 22:01

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