Latest news with #LastTake:RustandtheStoryofHalyna
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
A woman died filming 'Rust.' Should you feel guilty watching Alec Baldwin's movie?
A woman died filming 'Rust.' Should you feel guilty watching Alec Baldwin's movie? Show Caption Hide Caption 'Rust' movie trailer: See Alec Baldwin as a Western outlaw Alec Baldwin's Western drama "Rust" is out May 2. Alec Baldwin's beleaguered Western movie 'Rust' hits theaters and video on demand May 2. Its release raises a thorny question: Is it OK to see this film? As most people know, during a rehearsal in New Mexico on Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin's gun discharged a live bullet, killing 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. For some, watching the film might seem like a gruesome voyeuristic act, even if the scene in question is not a part of the final cut. For others, including Hutchins' colleagues and family, supporting the film pays tribute to the final artistic pursuit of a departed wife, daughter and pal. 'Rust' movie review: Alec Baldwin's movie finds beauty amid tragedy 'Halyna's family knew just how important her art was to her, how much she lived and breathed it, and they did not want it to simply vanish,' Souza said via email to USA TODAY. 'Rust' represents the apex of Hutchins' cinematic work, and all efforts were made to convey that sentiment to those who worked on the movie after the fatal incident, Souza added. 'Halyna's mother spoke of how much she wanted her daughter's film to be completed and to be seen,' he said, adding that her husband, Matthew, 'made himself available to talk with people (in the production) who wanted to hear his thoughts on all of this.' Seeing 'Rust' is a way of helping the family of Halyna Hutchins, a friend insists In 2023, Matthew Hutchins said in a statement he was "grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work." USA TODAY reached out to his lawyers for comment, but did not hear back before publication. Hutchins was made an executive producer on 'Rust' when filming resumed in Montana in 2023 amid myriad civil and criminal lawsuits sparked by the shooting. A source close to the film told NPR last fall that none of the original producers will share in profits as part of a wrongful-death settlement reached between Hutchins and Baldwin, whose criminal charges were dismissed last year on a legal technicality. Rachel Mason, Hutchins' longtime friend and the director of the Hulu documentary 'Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna,' echoes that those who screen 'Rust' will be helping her friend. 'By watching the film, you are supporting the family,' she tells USA TODAY. 'The money from the film goes to them.' For those who returned to finish 'Rust' when filming resumed, 'so many suffered from PTSD, but they learned by being there they could do something for her,' Mason says. The documentarian watched a lot of Hutchins' Western footage in compiling her film. She describes the scenes as breathtaking. 'Halyna was picky, she shot very few movies, and here on 'Rust,' she was operating at her pinnacle level,' she says. 'I don't like Westerns at all, but this film is exceptional in many ways.' Mason describes a range of 'striking wide shots, with dust creeping up across the landscape, shots of horses lingering just so,' she says. 'Joel (Souza) made room for Halyna's art.' Hollywood has dealt with tragedy on film sets before, and the show often goes on Despite stringent safety requirements, Hollywood sets have seen accidents and deaths among cast and crew alike. And often in those cases, the final project does eventually get released. In 1982, actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed on the set of 'The Twilight Zone' movie when a helicopter crashed during filming. The production continued despite a barrage of lawsuits. In 1993, actor Brandon Lee, son of legendary martial artist Bruce Lee, died on the set of 'The Crow' when a prop gun loaded with dummy bullets struck Lee with enough force to cause fatal internal injuries. The movie was completed using special effects and a stunt double, and remains Lee's crowning achievement. In the case of many big-budget productions, financial concerns might drive the decision to carry on. But 'Rust' was a relatively low-budget affair, which critics argue led to lax safety on the set that contributed to the tragedy. While Baldwin has settled civil suits, "Rust" armorer Hannah Guitierrez-Reed is serving 18 months in jail for involuntary manslaughter as she was deemed responsible for the appearance of live rounds on the set. While Baldwin could likely have shelved the film after Hutchins' death, it does appear the decision to resume was driven largely by her family's desire to see the project completed for both emotional and financial reasons. Baldwin has not himself commented on why he, as star and producer of 'Rust,' opted to resume production after the shooting. Matt DelPiano, the actor's representative, said in an email to USA TODAY that Baldwin, currently starring in the TLC reality series 'The Baldwins,' would not be commenting about the release of 'Rust.' The decision to return to the directorial helm of 'Rust' was difficult for Souza, who is reminded daily of the tragedy. He sustained shoulder injuries when the bullet that killed Hutchins also struck him. 'It ruined me,' he said in a Vanity Fair interview last summer. But in returning to "Rust," he found some peace and a lot of purpose. 'Halyna was on my mind every single day,' Souza wrote to USA TODAY. "You could feel that with everyone there. Just how seriously they took this and what it meant for them to be there. As for me, I always thought it was important to make clear to people why I decided to come back, which was to honor my friend and finish what we started together.'
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Rust' will hit theaters in May. Fake guns and rubber bullets were just part of what it took to complete the movie.
Rust has a trailer and release date — three years after the film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on set. Alec Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the western film on Bonanza Creek Ranch outside Santa Fe, N.M., in October 2021 when the prop gun he was using discharged. A live round, which had been mixed in with the fake movie bullets, fatally struck Halyna before lodging in director Joel Souza's shoulder. The tragedy has resulted in multiple lawsuits and high-profile trials. The film's original armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is serving 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter. Baldwin went to trial on the same charge, but his case was dismissed. The original first assistant director, David Halls, pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon and was sentenced to probation. The film went back into production in 2023 and will have a May 2 theatrical release. The new trailer, out March 26, shows that the film didn't get watered down. There is no shortage of guns and shoot-outs, though Baldwin doesn't appear to be the triggerman in any of the trailer scenes. He does utter some lines that hit differently in light of what happened, including 'Some things in life you can't get back, I reckon' and 'Heaven ain't waiting on either one of us.' The synopsis of the film — for which Baldwin also gets 'story by' and 'produced by' credits — reads: 'In 1880s Wyoming, recently orphaned Lucas Hollister (Patrick Scott McDermott) accidentally kills a rancher and is sentenced to hang. In a twist of fate, his estranged grandfather, the notorious outlaw Harland Rust (Academy Award nominee Alec Baldwin), breaks him out of jail and takes him on the run toward Mexico. As they flee across the unforgiving wilderness, the fugitive pair must outrun the determined U.S. Marshal Wood Helm (Josh Hopkins) and a ruthless bounty hunter named 'Preacher' (Travis Fimmel).' Halyna's husband, Matthew, and son, Andros, will receive the profits from the film, the press release noted. That's part of a wrongful death lawsuit settlement reached with film producers. Matthew also received an executive producer credit. The film premiered in November at the Camerimage Film Festival in Toruń, Poland. The recent Hulu documentary, Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, noted that Halyna dreamed of showing her work at that festival, which celebrates the artistry of cinematographers. Souza was in attendance at the premiere. Baldwin was not invited, organizers said. In the wake of the shooting, filming completely shut down. The New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau fined producers $137,000 for firearms safety failures. Souza told Vanity Fair he thought about quitting filmmaking altogether. Baldwin said the lawsuit settlement with Matthew, reached in October 2022, hinged on the completion of Halyna's final film. 'I said to Joel, 'Are you going to do it? If you think it's important to do this, I'll do it. If it's the only way we can settle the case with [Halyna's] husband and the estate is to finish the film, let's do it,' Baldwin told Variety. 'So we go to Montana.' Production resumed in April 2023 on Yellowstone Film Ranch in Pray, Mont. 'All my doctors told me 'don't go' — mental health practitioners, cardiologists,' Baldwin said. 'I was very sick afterwards for a while, physically drained and ill. But I went.' Changes were implemented on the set. Most notably, they only used fake guns and bullets. The new first assistant director, Gerard DiNardi, told the New York Times there would be 'nothing that fires,' only 'facsimiles of weapons, from rubber to replicas.' Andrew Wert, who took over as the new armorer, said the dummy rounds were made of rubber and wood and then painted gold. Any firing was done digitally. Bianca Cline replaced Halyna as cinematographer. In the Hulu documentary, she said she tried to preserve as much of the Ukrainian filmmaker's original footage as possible. She donated her pay to charity. There were cast changes: Jensen Ackles didn't return and was replaced by Josh Hopkins. Brady Noon, who originally played the boy at the center of the story, was replaced by Patrick Scott McDermott. The church scene filmed when the shooting occurred was cut from the film. Souza told Vanity Fair, 'It vanishes in its entirety,' in addition to scenes leading up to it, with a portion of the film, which he wrote, being completely reconceived. 'I'm glad you asked. I don't want anyone who ever does see [the film] to be waiting for that [scene].' Souza told NPR it was 'a very tough decision' for him to return, but driving him was being able to finish Halyna's final film instead of having a stranger do it. He said he 'was a wreck through most of the second go around. It's something I still struggle with, [if] I should have or shouldn't have. But I just feel like, for me, that was the right thing to do.' Souza told Vanity Fair that he ran a tighter ship, making 'it very clear in the second iteration, it's my way or the highway.' That included less input from Baldwin about the creative direction of his character, which Souza said became a 'struggle' during the initial shoot. Baldwin told Variety of the reshoot, 'It was a better film in a lot of ways. Other than Halyna.' Filming wrapped in May 2023. At the time, Baldwin wrote on Instagram, 'It's been a long and difficult road. But we reach the end of the trail today.' He called it, 'Nothing less than a miracle.' Souza told the Hollywood Reporter the shoot 'was tough" for Baldwin. 'I can only imagine how difficult that was.' Asked by Vanity Fair about his post-film relationship with the actor, Souza replied, 'We got through it. I got the performance I wanted. We're not friends. We're not enemies. There's no relationship.' The film was finished in March 2024. According to the press release that accompanied the trailer, the film's original producers — including Baldwin — will not gain financially from the movie. 'There are people out there who say, 'I don't want to support [or] put money in Baldwin's pocket or the producers' pocket," Souza told NPR in November. 'You're not going to. That's not how this is going to work.' Baldwin attorney Luke Nikas told the outlet the star completed Rust 'for the benefit of Halyna Hutchins's family and her legacy. He was not paid to complete the film, he has not and will not profit from the film, and he has zero financial interest in the film or any proceeds the film may earn.' Baldwin told Variety, 'The notion that anybody has profited from the film's sale and distribution is blatantly untrue. I waived my fee [and] waived all my backend. I gave everything to her husband. He owns the film. … From the get-go in the settlement we all said, 'We don't want anything! You can have everything!' And we gave everything, literally.' According to the Hollywood Reporter, Baldwin was paid a modest $150,000 to act in the independent film. As a producer, his company was going to earn $100,000 and part of the backend — and, as noted, he waived both. The other original producers were supposed to earn between $100,000 and $150,000. Baldwin told Variety he wanted the film to be released so 'that [Matthew] gets his money. We all made a deal with him and we all want to follow through. But this idea that people — who shall remain nameless — say, 'You are profiting from this!' That is absolutely wrong.' Souza told Vanity Fair that when it was announced a settlement had been reached with Matthew and he would be a producer, he felt the public even 'turned on' Matthew. 'People were angry, and it's like: Man, f*** you,' Souza said. 'Anybody who's got a problem with Matt has a problem with goodness in general. This guy is way out of your league in terms of integrity and in terms of just emotional intelligence.' Baldwin told Variety he hadn't watched the completed film. He said that was because it's 'the most difficult thing I've ever dealt with in my life' and 'I want all things Rust to just leave my windshield.' In his mind, the film is 'always going to be overshadowed by' Halyna's death. Souza knows getting moviegoers to see it is a hurdle, telling NPR, 'Obviously, the human cost and the tragedy of it overshadows everything, rightfully so, and is so much more important than any movie. I just wonder if people will sort of see past that and engage with it as a film or if it will be a thing where people can't ever separate the movie from what happened during its filming.' Souza said his only hope is that moviegoers see it for Halyna. 'If people don't want to watch this movie, for any reason, they certainly don't need to and there's no hard feelings from me,' he told the Hollywood Reporter. 'But what I hope is that people give it a chance — and if they do, that they look closely at the visual aspects, particularly the cinematography. Because it's a very unique opportunity to look through Halyna's eyes and see how she saw the world.' is in theaters and available on VOD beginning May 2.
Euronews
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
First trailer released for 'Rust', the Alec Baldwin western with a tragic production
ADVERTISEMENT Silhouetted figures stalk across the stark expanse. Gruff voices exchange unpleasantries. Pistols are raised in anger. So far, a typical Hollywood trailer for an upcoming western film. Rust however has been an extraordinary production. The first official trailer has now been released for the film in which cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed. Lead actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing with a revolver when the gun went off fatally shooting Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza in October 2021. Baldwin's case case has since been dismissed while armorer Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for bringing live ammunition onto set and is serving an 18-month sentence. Rust completed filming in 2023 and post-production last year. The film then premiered in November at the Camerimage festival in Torun, Poland. Rust trailer released Its premiere was well-attended, with people fascinated more by the film's backstory than actual plot. Camerimage was a fitting venue as it's a film festival focused on cinematographers, and the film is dedicated to Hutchins. Now, it is set for general release, hitting US screens on 2 May. It's been a long run to get to this stage for Rust . By all accounts, the producers most probably never expected for the film to see the light of day after Hutchins' death. The $8 million (€7.4 million) film was a passion project for Baldwin and Souza , who together developed the story of an ageing outlaw (Baldwin) coming out of hiding in 1880s Kansas to save his 13-year-old grandson from a death sentence due to an accidental murder. Prior to the accident, at worst, the film would have likely been a little-watched entry at some lesser-known film festivals before disappearing without a proper distributor. Best case scenario, it could've proved briefly popular with a week-long push on a streaming platform. With US distribution now secured, are studios expecting a surprise hit through capitalising on morbidly interested viewers? A musician plays a violin behind a photograph of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a vigil in her honor in Albuquerque, N.M.,Oct. 23, 2021 AP Photo Baldwin and Souza's choice to release the film could also be read positively. Even if it's not a classic of cinema, it still represents the last work of Hutchins, a cinematographer who dedicated her career to the art form. Her cinematic legacy is in some of the shots of Rust and letting people see her talent is a fair goal. Earlier this month, Hulu released Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna , a documentary on Hutchins' death. It was directed by her close friend Rachel Mason. Although Baldwin declined to participate, it features Hutchins' footage and Mason also filmed the resumed Rust production and interviewed Souza. Although Souza eventually criticised the film for featuring the criminal investigation more than Hutchins' life, many found it a fitting tribute to the dramatic incident that brought Rust to public attention. As Hutchins' final work hits screens, it finally gets the chance to interact with audiences. Although, it may be a hard ask for viewers to separate it from its tragic production.
Forbes
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Controversial Alec Baldwin Movie ‘Rust' Gets Digital Streaming Date
Rust— the Alec Baldwin Western that turned tragic when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot to death during on the set of the film — has received a theatrical and digital release date. Rust is directed by Joel Souza and Baldwin is one of the film's producers. The production of Rust was brought to a standstill on Oct. 21, 2021, when a prop gun the actor was holding went off. A live round left in the gun struck Hutchins — who died from her wounds at a local hospital — as well as Souza, who survived his injuries. Baldwin — who maintained that he did not pull the trigger of the weapon despite forensic findings to the contrary (via ABC) — was indicted two times in the case, with the second charge of involuntary manslaughter coming on Jan. 19, 2024. The first set of charges were dropped in April 2023 since new evidence surfaced and more time was needed for an investigation. In July of 2024, the case against Baldwin was dismissed by a New Mexico judge, citing that the state withheld evidence about the shooting. Meanwhile, Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter charges in April of 2024 and sentenced to 18 months in prison the following month. Now, about three and a half years after the on-set tragedy, Rust will finally be released. According to People, Rust will be released in theaters on May 2 and will be available on digital streaming via premium video on demand the same day. Although pre-order availability has not been listed anywhere, new PVOD titles generally appear on a variety of platforms including AppleTV, Fandango at Home and Prime Video. Purchase and rental pricing has not yet been announced. Per IMDb, the logline for Rust reads, 'A boy left to fend for himself and his younger brother following their parents' deaths in 1880s Kansas goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather after he is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.' Alec Baldwin stars in the film as the title character, Harland Rust. The film also stars Travis Fimmel, Jake Busey, Frances Fisher and Patrick Scott McDermott. A documentary about the tragedy — Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna — began streaming on Hulu on March 11. Per Hulu, the summary of Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna partially reads, 'On October 21, 2021, on the set of the movie RUST, a prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin fired a live bullet, wounding the film's director and killing its cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. Within hours, the catastrophic accident was enveloped by a frenzy of media attention. For months, then years, as lawsuits flew and criminal trials unfolded, the tabloid spectacle around the case overshadowed a private, personal tragedy. 'In Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, Halyna's friend, director Rachel Mason, goes beyond the public narrative to reveal the untold human story of that terrible day and all that followed — from the vantage point of the people at the center of the tragedy. The film weaves together the accounts of those who were on the set of Rust that day and of those, like Mason, who not only lost a cherished friend and colleague but who are still navigating the trauma of the aftermath.' The summary also noted that the filmmakers worked with public court records, and behind-the-scenes material from the film and had 'unprecedented access to key individuals and materials, including Halyna's personal archives.' 'The film examines the official investigations into the safety protocols on set and explores the private moral reckoning of all involved,' the summary continued. 'It probes for answers to the questions those closest to Halyna all carry. How could this have happened? And how do we possibly make sense of it? 'Rigorously reported, emotionally raw, and deeply personal, the film seeks to redeem the core of the story that the media exploited — that of a talented cinematographer whose life story was minimized, yet in death gave her colleagues an unexpected opportunity to heal from unimaginable loss by completing the film that mattered deeply to her.' Rust, starring Alec Baldwin, will be released in theaters and on PVOD on May 2.
Chicago Tribune
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
‘Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna' review: A tragedy retold
Filmed in New Mexico, the Alec Baldwin Western 'Rust' became infamous when work on the 2021 movie culminated in the accidental fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The Hulu documentary 'Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna' re-examines what happened on the troubled set, and it features interviews with several people involved, some of whom express a bitter frustration with how the tragedy was discussed online. Actor Josh Hopkins, for example, calls the internet 'the land of cowards,' which he found 'enraging because they don't know anything about a movie set and don't know anything about the hearts of the people involved.' That he and his colleagues would focus on public outrage, when one might have expected anger directed toward their employers, is stunning. But the Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspector assigned to the case (identified here only as Lorenzo) is blunt about where the focus should be: 'Every worker in America has a right to a safe workplace.' In addition to Hutchins, 'Rust' director Joel Souza was shot in the shoulder and survived. In the immediate aftermath of that October day, it became clear this was not an unexplainable event. That's reinforced in director Rachel Mason's documentary, as well. 'Every accident is preceded by a series of failures,' says the OSHA inspector. It's also conspicuous that no one gives voice to the fear: That could have been me. Were career preservation instincts guiding what they were willing to say on camera? Mason embarked on the documentary at the behest of Hutchins' widower, Matthew Hutchins, who wanted her humanity re-centered. 'But I realized I couldn't make a film about her life unless I understood how she died,' Mason says in the film. Perhaps this is why she fails to capture who Hutchins was beyond some nice words spoken about her by close friends. Notably, Matthew is not interviewed. That's understandable. It's also a problem for the film. Despite its well-intentioned aims, 'Last Take' reduces Hutchins' life to the circumstances of her death. If you were enraged when the story first broke, the documentary will re-enrage you all over again. Three people were held criminally liable for the shooting, despite the OSHA inspector's opinion that there was 'no way this is only limited to three people.' The Hulu press materials are careful to phrase the involvement of the film's star in passive terms: 'A prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin fired a live bullet.' Baldwin was also a producer on the film and he was charged with involuntary manslaughter. The case was dismissed after the judge ruled the prosecution had withheld evidence. (The film's other producers are not discussed in the documentary.) Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. And first assistant director Dave Halls pled no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon and was given six months probation. (The prosecutor tells Mason she also offered Gutierrez-Reed a deal that would have resulted in no jail time, but Gutierrez-Reed chose a trial instead.) Budgets on independent films are always tight and there is intense pressure to stretch a dollar. 'Where is management's priority?' asks the OSHA inspector. 'Are we pushing production, production, production over people's safety due to money?' OSHA ultimately issued something called a 'willful citation.' According to the inspector, 'There was enough input from management, enough knowledge, enough warning, enough complaints — all of these red flags — and management said, 'Well, let's just move on.' We call that plain indifference.' A slide then appears on screen: 'In February 2023, OSHA agreed to settle with 'Rust' Productions, who were not required to admit any wrongdoing.' The film doesn't ask about the decision-making behind this outcome, but a consistent theme emerges relating to the question of who is culpable. Clips from various TV interviews include one featuring Baldwin, who states that 'someone is responsible for what happened and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me.' Mason then cuts to a different clip featuring Hutchins' husband. He sees things differently: 'The idea that the person holding the gun causing it to discharge is not responsible is absurd to me. Every individual who touches a firearm has a responsibility for gun safety.' Baldwin, his wife and their children are currently featured in a new TLC series about their lives. According to People magazine, this prompted a response from Hutchins' family members: 'Is his reality show just a veiled attempt to create sympathy for himself with a future jury pool in our civil case? Is this just a shameless attempt to portray him as the real victim in this case?' The same report notes that Baldwin 'never called or tried to contact her parents or sister to say that he was sorry, and to this day he has never taken responsibility for Halyna's death.' Hutchins is also survived by a young son. Why was there real ammunition on set to begin with? How did those live rounds get mixed in with dummy rounds and loaded into Baldwin's pistol? Nobody appears to have an answer. Early in the news cycle, one rumored theory took hold: Were crew members doing target practice? The film doesn't address this possibility beyond a brief mention by the OSHA inspector: 'Through our interviews, we were able to determine that no one was shooting recreationally on set.' On the day of the shooting, Baldwin was interviewed by a sheriff's detective and in the video he's seen drawing a diagram to explain the setup: 'I sat here, and the camera was here, and she was here, and Joel was here.' The detective stops him: 'She being … Halyna?' It's striking that Baldwin refers to Souza by name but not Hutchins. Not long after, another detective says that Hutchins has died: 'Joel's still at the hospital. But the other person involved didn't make it.' Once again, Souza is named and Hutchins is not. How quickly she has been downgraded to 'the other person.' In later footage, Baldwin and his wife confront a group of paparazzi and a photographer admits to not remembering Hutchins' name. The Baldwins shame him, but their righteous indignation feels insincere considering Baldwin wasn't using her name in that footage with detectives. 'There was an ugly frenzy' around the case, says Souza. 'They sort of erased her from it really quickly.' He seems to be talking about the media. Another possible takeaway: The erasure was even broader. At least the documentary puts Hutchins' name right in the title. 'Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna' — 2.5 stars (out of 4) Where to watch: Hulu
