2023-04-19 09:06:34
Filming of the Western “Rust” starring Alec Baldwin will resume this week, its producers announced, 18 months following the death of a cinematographer due to the actor’s accidental shooting.
Filming the movie “Rust” on a farm in the US state of New Mexico witnessed a tragedy on October 21, 2021, when Baldwin operated a weapon that was supposed to contain claw bullets, but live ammunition fired from the weapon killed photographer Helena Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
Alec Baldwin, 65, has pleaded not guilty to one count of manslaughter.
While the criminal case continues, filming is expected to resume Thursday in the US state of Montana.
“The production will continue to use union-certified crew members and will prohibit the use of weapons during work or any form of ammunition,” the production company’s lawyer, Melina Spadoni, said in a statement to AFP.
She explained that “live ammunition has always been, and still is, prohibited in filming locations.”
The incident shocked Hollywood and prompted calls to ban the use of guns on filming sets.
Actor Alec Baldwin, best known for his role on “30 Rock,” has consistently pleaded not guilty to the incident.
He pointed out that members of the work crew told him that the weapon was harmless, and he denied that he had pulled the trigger. However, this talk raised skepticism among several experts, according to AFP.
The actor involved in the production of the film is currently subject to judicial control. In particular, it was forbidden to drink alcohol or use firearms or any kind of dangerous weapon.
Weapons officer Hana Gutierrez Reed, the film’s director, is also charged with involuntary manslaughter.
If convicted, Baldwin and Gutierrez Reid face up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
At the end of March, the film’s first assistant director Dave Holz, 63, was given a suspended 6-month prison sentence. Holles had given the gun to Baldwin, telling him it was not dangerous. He has agreed to plead guilty.
Filming is expected to resume with the participation of Matthew, the husband of the late photographer Helena Hutchins (42 years), as an executive producer.
In October, the man dropped civil lawsuits he had filed once morest Alec Baldwin, under an agreement whose value was not disclosed.
As for the parents of the murdered cinematographer and her sister, they are still seeking compensation before the civil courts.
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