Believe it or not, it’s been nearly a full year since the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” in October 2021. Since then, there has been a ton of controversy, as you might expect, surrounding the events that led to the accident, including lawsuits and potential criminal charges against the folks involved. But apparently, that’s all going away, as the producers of “Rust,” including Alec Baldwin, have agreed to a settlement with Hutchins’ family.
According to Variety, the producers of “Rust” are gearing up to recommence filming on the Western in January 2023, after they agreed to a settlement with the family of Halyna Hutchins. As part of the agreement, the wrongful death court case will be dropped.
Last year, on the set of director Joel Souza’s Western, “Rust,” a prop gun went off with a live ammunition round which led to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins being shot and killed and Souza sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. An FBI investigation claimed that the gun was fired by Alec Baldwin with a live round in it, while the actor believed the gun had a blank. Baldwin has denied any wrongdoing and has publicly claimed that he never pulled the trigger but the gun just discharged. (It would appear that this disagreement about if the trigger was pulled or not will continue on forever now.) Alas, it seems as if Matthew Hutchins, the husband of Halyna Hutchins, has come to an agreement and is giving his consent and approval for the film to be finished.
“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,” said Matthew Hutchins. “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.”
“Those of us who were lucky enough to have spent time with Halyna knew her to be exceedingly talented, kind, creative, and a source of incredible positive energy,” Souza added. “I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work.”
He continued, “In my own attempts to heal, any decision to return to finish directing the film could only make sense for me if it was done with the involvement of Matt and the Hutchins family. Though certainly bittersweet, I am pleased that together, we will now complete what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna’s legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf.”
With filming resuming in January, it’s unclear when we might actually see “Rust” arrive on screen. It’ll be interesting to see if studios decide to pick up the rights to the film or if there’s too much drama surrounding the project. But at this point, you have to assume the producers are just happy to finish the film.