Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” will resume principal photography Thursday, 18 months after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the Western movie’s set, the Daily News has learned.
Production will now take place at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana after previously being held at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Hutchins, 42, died in October 2021 after being shot by a firearm handled by Baldwin, a producer and star of the film. Baldwin has maintained he was told the gun was cold, indicating it wasn’t loaded with live ammunition.
In January, Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Baldwin faces a maximum of 18 months in prison with no minimum sentence. Last year, the Office of the Medical Investigator in New Mexico determined the shooting to be accidental.
The makers of “Rust” announced in October their plans to resume production after settling a wrongful death lawsuit with Hutchins’ family. They said in February that the restart would take place this spring.
“The production will continue to utilize union crew members and will bar any use of working weapons and any form of ammunition,” a spokesman for the production said Tuesday. “Live ammunition is — and always was — prohibited on set.”
Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, will serve as the executive producer of “Rust,” while Bianca Cline will take over as cinematographer. Producers also enlisted Gary Jensen and Paul Jordan as safety officers.
Returning to the production is director Joel Souza, who was wounded in the shooting. In announcing the partnership with Yellowstone Film Ranch in February, he said the “beauty of Montana surpasses words.”
“The dedication and passion of the entire Rust production team to honor Halyna’s vision has deeply moved us,” the co-founders of Yellowstone Film Ranch said at the time.
“We’ve learned so much about Halyna as a friend and colleague, the depth of her artistry, and the lasting impact she had on so many. We are honored to play a role in the realization of her vision and to carry forward her inspiring legacy through championing this film.”
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