Alec Baldwin and the Hutchins family have reached a settlement over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after a gun discharged on the set of Rust. As part of the settlement, Rust will resume production next year.

On October 21, 2021, there was an incident on the set of the western film Rust. Baldwin, the star and producer of the film, was handling a revolver during rehearsals when the gun fired, striking director Joel Souza, who survived, and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed. Following the incident, there has been a highly publicized investigation by the Santa Fe police and the FBI, as well as civil charges from the Hutchins family for the wrongful death of Halyna Hutchins.

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Now, this civil case between Baldwin and the Hutchins family has been settled out of court, according to Deadline. Matthew Hutchins, the husband of Halyna Hutchins, said in a statement that the settlement is pending court approval, but will mean that the case will be dropped and that the film will continue production in January, with him as executive producer. “I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” Matthew Hutchins said. “All of us believe 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 final work.” Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas also said, “Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation.”

Alec Baldwin Halyna Hutchins Rust

While the civil case has been dropped, the criminal investigation by the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office and the FBI is still ongoing. In August the FBI completed their forensic firearms analysis, which contradicted Baldwin's story that the gun went off by itself and that he never pulled the trigger. It is unlikely that the criminal charges will be dropped given the amount of public interest and scrutiny of the investigation so far, but only time will tell.

The most likely targets for criminal charges are Baldwin, who fired the gun and was the film's producer; assistant director Halls, who handed Baldwin the gun and told him that it was safe and unloaded; and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of all firearms usage on set. The details of the incident revealed to the public so far point toward extreme negligence and disregard for on-set safety regulations that could implicate any of these individuals.

For Matthew Hutchins and the rest of the crew, including director Joel Sousa, however, completing Rust will be a way to honor Halyna's memory, her passion, and the hard work she put into the project. In their minds, shelving the movie would not be what Halyna would have wanted. And given the immense public interest surrounding the tragic incident, Rust will almost certainly over-perform at the box office.

Rust is scheduled to resume production in January 2023.

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Source: Deadline