A year after the tragic accident that took her life, many pay tribute to the cameraman Halyna Hutchins. On October 21, 2021, Hutchins was in New Mexico working on Joel Souza’s western film Rust. While preparing a scene, a live round was fired from a prop pistol held by Alec Baldwin who wounded Souza and killed Hutchins. Production has been halted and a criminal investigation has been launched, although production on the film will resume in January with the blessing of Hutchins’ family.
Baldwin took to Instagram and joined those who honored Hutching by posting a photo of the late cameraman on set doing what she loved. In the caption, Baldwin simply wrote, “A year ago today…”
While what happened on the set of Rust was a tragic accident, that does not mean that no one will be held accountable. No criminal charges have been filed against any specific individual at this time, although the investigation is still ongoing and could continue to happen. To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the accident, the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office issued a statement (per Deadline) warned that charges could be coming soon and the final report is expected to arrive in the near future.
The statement reads: “On the anniversary of the tragedy on the Rust Set in Santa Fe County, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis remains committed to bringing justice to the victims and getting answers for the community. Once the District Attorney has received the full report from the Santa Fe County Sheriff, she and her team of professional attorneys and investigators will thoroughly review all of the evidence and make an informed decision about whether or not to press charges against those involved. No one is above the law and every victim deserves justice.”
Rust will be completed
After the tragedy, Halyna Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, filed a tort lawsuit against Baldwin and others involved in the film’s production. The lawsuit has since been settled and as part of the deal, Matthew Hutchins has stepped on board the project as executive producer. He has given his blessing to Baldwin and the filmmakers to complete the film as a way of honoring Halyna. He also said he did not blame Baldwin or anyone else for what happened, noting that it was a tragic accident.
“I have no interest in being involved in blaming or assigning blame (to the producers or Mr Baldwin),” Hutchins said in a statement. “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 reportedly begin filming in early 2023, but not on the same set in New Mexico where the accident happened. The producers are actively looking for a new filming location, with California appearing to be a likely option. It is not yet clear when the film will be released.