‘Rust,’ starring Alec Baldwin, is coming to movie theaters this weekend after the on-set tragedy. Here’s why

Many industry insiders and cinephiles alike predicted that Joel Souza’s Rust would simply remain unfinished, that its only legacies would be the tragic death of 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, which occurred on set, and the complicated legal proceedings that followed.

However, despite Souza’s own misgivings, he completed the project. The Western film will see a limited U. S. release on roughly 150 screens beginning today (Friday, May 2) thanks to Falling Forward Films.

Souza has been making the press rounds to explain this decision, which he says the Hutchins family supports, despite her mother making comments to the contrary. Here’s a recap of the tragic events and a look at why filmmakers have decided to release it now.

What happened on the set of ‘Rust’?

According to Vanity Fair, Souza—who both wrote and directed Rust—first got the idea for the film in 2019 when driving around with his two sons. He worried about what would happen to them if he weren’t around to raise them. He could not have known how close that would be to coming true. When speaking to the Guardian, he mused, “I wish I never wrote the damn movie.” 

Souza’s regret stems from a series of “bad decisions” that led to a prop gun—held by actor Alec Baldwin—discharging a live round on, October 19, 2021, outside Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Baldwin maintains that he did not pull the trigger, while a forensic report found otherwise. The bullet that killed Hutchins went through her chest and lodged in Souza’s shoulder, inches away from his spine. He recovered, but has said that the joint still acts up, a physical reminder of the trauma of that day.

How did the legal fallout impact the film?

There were many debates over who exactly was responsible for the loss of life. Assistant director Dave Halls took a plea deal after failing to check the prop, resulting in six months of probation. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who served as the film’s prop armorer, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2024.

The same year, charges against Baldwin for involuntary manslaughter were dismissed due to evidence being mishandled, as Reuters reported. Souza was never prosecuted.

Why is ‘Rust’ being released now?

At the time of the tragic events, only half of the movie was completed. Even Souza had doubts about finishing it but says he ultimately wanted to share Hutchins’s final work with the world.

“We worked very closely together,” Souza explained to Vanity Fair. “The work she was doing was her best work, and for it to just vanish . . .”

After initially speaking out against the producers of the project, Hutchins’s husband, Matthew, reached a settlement and joined as an executive producer in 2022. Another reason Souza wanted to complete the film was so Hutchins’s son Andros could see his mom’s work.

Filming resumed on April 20, 2023. Bianca Cline stepped in as cinematographer to help finish Hutchins’s vision. Souza not only dedicated the movie to Hutchins but also gave her second billing, which is not a standard industry practice.

Souza maintains that the family wanted the film finished. However, Hutchins’s mother, Olga Solovey, has taken issue with Baldwin’s actions after her daughter’s death. She reportedly refused to attend the film’s 2024 premiere at the Camerimage Film Festival.

“Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death,” Solovey revealed in a statement to Deadline last year.

Given that Rust is only getting a limited release in a reported 150 theaters, it is unlikely that ticket sales will amount to a big profit. (A typical movie opens in around 2,000 to 4,000 theaters.) It is also being simultaneously released on streaming services Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Fandango at Home thanks to Decal Releasing.

According to reporting from the New York Times, this is to maximize profits, which are going to Hutchins’s husband and son as part of the settlement.

What is ‘Rust’ about?

In a bitterly ironic turn of events, the plot of the film centers on an accidental shooting.

Lucas Hollister, played by Patrick Scott McDermott, believes he is shooting a wolf that is threatening his home, but the bullet from his rifle instead kills a neighboring rancher. Because Lucas and the rancher had a disagreement, no one believes it was not intentional. The young boy is imprisoned until his grandfather, Harland Rust, played by Baldwin breaks him out.

The parallels to real life are not lost on Souza. “The movie is about what it’s about: the consequences of violence,” he explained to the Guardian. “There’s a real anti-gun aspect to it.”

While Rust might not be a commercial success, the larger conversation it continues to spark about safety and accountability could be its greatest legacy.

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