Rust, the film on whose set cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in 2021 by a bullet fired by star Alec Baldwin, is at last being released—after years of trials and investigations. Even the film's writer-director has mixed feelings about that. Hutchins' family "wanted it completed," Joel Souza told the Guardian. "I'd been repelled by the thought of going back, but now it started to appeal. And I couldn't live with the idea of someone else doing it." But there's been no starry premiere, and Baldwin has not made a promotional tour of talk shows. The official release is Friday, with the film showing in a limited number of theaters and through streaming services. Facing the release, Souza said, "I wish I never wrote the damn movie."
The filmmakers said they wanted to finish Rust to present the work of Hutchins, who was a 42-year-old ascending cinematographer at the time of her death. There's also a legal obligation: Matthew Hutchins and his son reached a lawsuit settlement with the producers and Baldwin in his wife's death dependent on the film bringing money in. In fact, Matthew Hutchins became an executive producer of the film, per the Los Angeles Times. That leaves everyone trying to balance the need for the film to earn money for the Hutchins family with the realization that a celebratory release would clash with the memory of a real-life tragedy.
Prop armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death and is serving an 18-month prison sentence, per the Hollywood Reporter. An involuntary manslaughter case against Baldwin was dropped after a judge found prosecutors had improperly withheld evidence from the defense; he's now brought a malicious prosecution lawsuit. Souza said some cast and crew members plan to gather Thursday night in Los Angeles for a small private screening of Rust, per the New York Times.
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