It’s not yet clear when filming will resume, but the plan is to wrap up production on Rust later this year.
Production on Rust is not affected by the criminal charges filed against the protagonist of the film and one of its producers, Alec Baldwin. It was recently revealed that Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has also been charged while assistant director David Halls accepted a plea deal for negligent use of a deadly weapon.
The announcement of the criminal charges comes months after Baldwin and the filmmakers announced their plans to complete the film. That news came as a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, was settled with the Rust team. It was also announced that Matthew Hutchins would be joining the project as an executive producer, and a statement released at the time stated that the film would be completed as a way to honor Halyna’s memory.
“I have no interest in allegations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” Hutchins’ statement read. “We all believe that 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 latest work.”
Rust will be finished
It was previously reported that the plan was to continue filming Rust in January 2023, albeit in a completely different location. With the end of the month approaching with no new updates, there had been speculation that the film would be shelved. However, Melina Spadone, attorney for Rust Movie Productions, LLC, tells Fox News that the film is still “on track to be completed with Mr. Baldwin starring and Joel Souza directing.” Of course, the new set “will include on-set safety supervisors and union crew members, and will prohibit any use of working weapons or ammunition.”
Rust filming may not have resumed at this point, though the plan is still to start filming again sometime in 2023. It remains unclear where filming will resume, or who will serve as cinematographer instead of Hutchins for the rest of the production.
Rust is a story set in 1880s Kansas that follows Baldwin as an aging outlaw who comes out of hiding to save his teenage grandson (Brady Noon) from execution for an accidental shooting. The pair go on the run as they are pursued by US Marshal Wood Helm (Jensen Ackles) and bounty hunter Fenton “Preacher” Lang (Travis Fimmel).