The movie “Rust” is set to resume filming after producer and actor Alec Baldwin settled a lawsuit with the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot and killed on set last year by a live round that he fired.
Matthew Hutchins, Halyna Hutchins’s husband, announced the settlement news in a statement obtained by The Hill, in which he noted that filming of the production would resume early next year.
“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,” the statement reads. “As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed. The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board, in January 2023. I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin).”
“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,” Hutchins’s statement concludes.
The actor’s attorney, Luke Nikas, said in a statement to The Hill, “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 late cinematographer’s family filed the lawsuit against Baldwin and others involved with “Rust” in February, alleging that their “reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures” led to Hutchins’s “senseless death.”
Hutchins, 42, was fatally shot last October on the New Mexico set of “Rust” after a live round was discharged from the prop gun used by Baldwin. The film’s director Joel Souza, 48, was also wounded in the incident. The FBI said in the forensic report following their investigation that the prop gun that killed Hutchins could not have been fired without someone pulling the trigger.
Baldwin said in an interview in August that the fatal shooting has “taken years off” his life and that he would never again use real guns in films. The actor also said at the time that he was a proponent of resuming production on “Rust,” especially in order to financially contribute to Hutchins’s son.
“Somebody died, and it was avoidable. It was so unnecessary,” Baldwin said. “Every day of my life I think about that.”