
'Rust' actor and producer Alec Baldwin and the estate of late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins have reached a settlement, reported Deadline. The deal will allow Hutchins' husband Matthew Hutchins to executive produce the film. 'Rust' is all set to recommence production in next year January with cast members returning. On October 21, 2021, a bullet fired by Baldwin on the Bonanza City, New Mexico near Santa Fe set of the movie hit Hutchins and writer-director Joel Souza. The gun was a prop and Baldwin was told it was "cold" (without ammunition). While Souza survived his injuries, Hutchins did not. The producers of the film were facing a lawsuit related to wrongful death.
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Matthew Hutchins said in a statement, “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."
He added, "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.”
Luke Nikas, Alec Baldwin’s attorney said in a statement, “Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation.”
Set in 1880s Texas, the film also had Travis Fimmel, Frances Fisher, Jensen Ackles, and Devon Werkheiser in the cast.
The tragic incident has ignited a debate over the handling of firearms on movie or TV show sets, the resulting dangers, and how to minimise them. There have been proposals by organisations involved in the film business to make sure such tragedies never happen in future.
Halyna's death is not the first tragedy of its kind on a movie set. The son of actor and legendary martial artist Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee, lost his life in a similar incident. He was hit by a .44 calibre slug while shooting a scene for the movie 'The Crow'.