Alec Baldwin’s film, Rust, will resume filming in January 2023 after a settlement was reached with the estate of Halyna Hutchins. Hutchins was the cinematographer for Rust and was unfortunately killed in an on-set shooting incident back in 2021.
In a report by Deadline, Matthew Hutchins, husband of Halyna, said: “We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed.”
On October 21, 2021, Halyna was killed during the filming of Rust. A prop firearm had been accidentally loaded with live ammunition, which resulted in the death of Hutchins after the gun was given to Baldwin.
With the settlement reached, Matthew Hutchins will now take on the role of the film’s executive producer. “The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023.”
Until now, no charges have been pressed by law enforcement, and much uncertainty still surrounds the incident. Baldwin claimed that he did not pull the trigger, despite the fact that he was in possession of the firearm when it was discharged. Reports of previous incidents with the film’s armorer, Dave Hall, added onto the confusion and made it difficult to pin the fault on anyone specific.
Hutchins said that he has “no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Balwdin). All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”
Director Joel Souza said: “Those of us who were lucky enough to have spent time with Halyna knew her to be exceedingly talented, kind, creative, and a source of incredible positive energy. I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work. In my own attempts to heal, any decision to return to finish directing the film could only make sense for me if it was done with the involvement of Matt and the Hutchins family. Though certainly bittersweet, I am pleased that together, we will now complete what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna’s legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf.”
Alec Baldwin also provided a statement on Instagram, saying that “We are pleased to announce today the settlement of the civil case filed on behalf of the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation.”
The Hutchins estate originally filed a lawsuit after Halyna’s death, alleging that Baldwin and the producers of Rust “did not take action to correct the situation and ensure that basic gun safety rules were followed on October 21, 2021.
“Had Defendant Baldwin, the Producers, and the Rust Production Companies taken adequate precautions to ensure firearm safety on the set of Rust or if basic firearm safety rules had been followed on the set of Rust on October 21, 2021, Halyna Hutchins would be alive and well, hugging her husband and nine-year old son.”
Rust is set to be a western-style film that takes place in Kansas during the 1880s. It will tell the story of Harland Rust (Baldwin), an outlaw who becomes a fugitive alongside his thirteen-year-old grandson (Brady Noon) after rescuing him from being hanged after he’s sentenced to death for murder.
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