Three years after actor Alec Baldwin shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins due to a prop mishap on the set of the film Rust, the movie is premiering.

Rust will debut on Nov. 20 in Toruń, Poland, at the Camerimage Festival.

Baldwin shot Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021, in New Mexico when he was rehearsing with a prop gun he thought was loaded with dummy rounds.

As he waved the gun around, the prop fired real bullets that killed Hutchins. Also injured, though not fatally, was the movie’s director, Joel Souza. 

The incident ignited a fierce argument over Baldwin’s responsibility in the accident as he acted irresponsibly with a prop but did not know the risk of his actions. Baldwin insisted he never pulled the trigger, contending he was not responsible for the tragedy. However, many have pointed out that even if he did not knowingly activate the gun, he still acted irresponsibly with a dangerous weapon and is therefore not exempt from blame.

Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but his case was ultimately thrown out.

Live ammunition is prohibited on movie sets by industry and union rules. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the person in charge of weapons on set, claimed to have unknowingly brought and used live ammunition for the prop fun. Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter as prosecutors argued that her actions were careless. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The first assistant director, David Halls, was also charged with negligent use of a deadly weapon in relation to the accident. In March 2023, he accepted a plea bargain.

Despite the tragedy, Souza continued making the film as a “tribute” to Hutchins.

The movie’s premiere just around the corner, Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, announced that she would not attend the release. In a statement through her attorney Gloria Allred, she explained the reason for her absence.

“It was always my hope to meet my daughter in Poland to watch her work come alive on screen. Unfortunately, that was ripped away from me when Alec Baldwin discharged his gun and killed my daughter. Alec Baldwin continued to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death.”

She continued, “Instead, he seeks to unjustly profit from his killing of my daughter. That is the reason why I refuse to attend the festival for the promotion of Rust, especially now when there is no justice for my daughter.”

Allred later added to Solovey’s statement, “[Baldwin’s] decision not to even call the family to say he is sorry is cruel and dishonors Halyna and her memory.”

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Article by Baila Eve Zisman

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