Alec Baldwin’s RUST Gets Premiere Date
By Movieguide® Contributor
Three years after a fatal shooting on set, RUST is slated to make its premiere debut next month at the Camerimage Festival in Poland.
In October 2021, actor Alec Baldwin was handed a loaded gun that had been accidentally swapped with a prop weapon. Later, the gun discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin and the movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, both underwent extensive investigations following the tragedy, eventually resulting in an 18-month, involuntary manslaughter prison sentence for Gutierrez-Reed and a dismissal of Baldwin’s case after a mistrial. Baldwin was able to return to set to finish the movie, and filming wrapped in May 2023.
The debut of RUST will be accompanied by a Q&A — which will feature Souza as one of the panel members — along with a tribute to Hutchins. The Camerimage Festival has previously honored Hutchins, observing a moment of silence shortly after her death in 2021.
“We knew that our event was important to [Hutchins], and that she felt at home among cinematographers from all over the world, who have been gathering at Camerimage for over 30 years,” said Marek Zydowicz, the Festival Director of Camerimage. “During the [2021] festival, we honored Halyna’s memory with a moment of silence and a panel of cinematographers discussed safety on set. Now, once again, together with cinematographers and film enthusiasts, we will have this special opportunity to remember her.”
Along with Souza, the Q&A will feature Hutchins’ mentor Stephen Lighthill and Bianca Cline, the cinematographer who took over RUST once filming resumed. Cline is set to discuss how she aimed to imitate Hutchins’ unique cinematography style and festival organizers plan to shine a spotlight on Hutchins throughout the event, discussing “the role of women in cinematography and their contributions to the art of filmmaking.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
Alec Baldwin, the RUST producers, and the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins have reached a settlement regarding Hutchins’ wrongful death suit…
Matthew Hutchins, Halyna Hutchins’ husband, made a statement regarding the settlement:
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.
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.