Alec Baldwin’s Rust to Premiere Three Years After Halyna Hutchins' Tragic Death – Without Baldwin's Presence

Alec Baldwin’s Western movie Rust will finally make its world premiere at the 2024 EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival. This comes three years after the tragic on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. 

The film will be shown between November 16 and November 23 in Poland, marking an emotional moment for everyone involved.

Following the screening, there will be a special panel discussion with the film’s director, Joel Souza, who was also injured in the same incident that killed Hutchins. The panel will also feature cinematographer Bianca Cline, who stepped in to finish the film after Hutchins' passing, and Stephen Lighthill, Hutchins' mentor from the American Film Institute.

[FILES-US-ENTERTAINMENT-JUSTICE-RUST-BALDWIN© Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office]

The focus of the discussion will be on the events surrounding the accident and how the filmmakers decided to continue with the movie. They will share insights about the challenges of completing the film while keeping Hutchins’ artistic vision alive. According to a statement, the filmmakers felt it was their duty to finish the project in her honor, despite the difficulties they faced.

Notably, Baldwin, who is both the film’s star and one of its producers, will not be attending the premiere, as confirmed by a source to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s also unclear if the other stars of the film—Travis Fimmel, Frances Fisher, Josh Hopkins, and Patrick Scott McDermott—will be present at the festival.

Rust is set in the 1880s and follows the story of a 13-year-old boy left to care for his younger brother after the death of their parents. The boy is sentenced to hang for accidentally killing a local rancher. He then goes on the run with his estranged grandfather, who helps him escape his fate.

The tragic incident that shook the film’s production happened during filming in October 2021. Alec Baldwin was practicing a gun-drawing technique when the prop gun he was holding discharged a real bullet, instead of a blank round. The bullet struck and killed Halyna Hutchins, who was only 42 years old at the time. The director, Joel Souza, was also injured in the accident but survived.

After Hutchins' death, Alec Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter. However, the case against him was dropped in July 2023. It was discovered that important evidence had been withheld by the state, evidence that could have explained how live ammunition ended up on the set.

The movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter. She was held responsible for accidentally bringing live ammunition onto the set and for failing to follow basic gun safety rules. In March 2023, Gutierrez-Reed was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

[Halyna Hutchins is seen from behind, wearing a white beanie and facing Alec Baldwin. Photo credit: Serge Svetnoy/Facebook.]

Recently, her appeal for a new trial was denied. Her lawyers argued that prosecutors did not share evidence that could have cleared her name, the same evidence that led to Baldwin’s case being dismissed. Despite their efforts, the judge upheld her conviction, stating that the request for a new trial was not valid.

The upcoming world premiere of Rust will be a bittersweet moment, as the filmmakers will honor Hutchins' memory and artistic contributions to the project. The film's release is a reminder of the dangers that can occur on movie sets and the importance of strict safety measures in the film industry.

This event will be a chance for the film's team to reflect on the accident and how they carried on with the project in memory of their late colleague. The panel discussion with Souza, Cline, and Lighthill is expected to offer deep insights into the tragedy and the tough decisions that had to be made in the aftermath.