As Halyna Hutchins’ family reaches a settlement in a lawsuit against actor Alec Baldwin, some members of the Rust crew, Rust producers, and Rust production companies, the movie will resume filming soon. Hutchins’ family sued Baldwin for his part in the wrongful death of Hutchins, who was killed on the set of Rust in 2021 when Baldwin’s prop gun misfired. Now not only will the filming resume, but Hutchins’ widower Matthew Hutchins will be credited as an executive producer.
The Hutchins family’s lawsuit named Baldwin, the film’s producers, the film’s production companies and some members of the crew, according to a report by CNN. It alleged numerous violations of industry standards that contributed to Hutchins’ sudden and shocking death. Matthew Hutchins issued a statement on Wednesday, saying: “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.”
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“I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” Matthew continued. “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.”
Director Joel Souza issued a statement about the settlement and the commencement of filming as well. He said: “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. I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work. 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.”
Souza was injured by the same bullet that killed Hutchins. The damages paid in this civil suit are private, and will likely not be revealed to the public. There’s no word on when Rust may premiere, but many commenters have wondered how it will overcome this daunting scandal.
