Despite a tragic shooting death on set (and the ensuing controversy), Alec Baldwin and the crew of Rust have decided that the show must go on. Filming of the movie is set to resume this spring, as director Joel Souza announced his commitment to completing the project he worked on alongside Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was killed.
Joel announced his plan in a statement obtained by E! News.
"Though bittersweet, I am grateful that a brilliant and dedicated new production team joining former cast and crew are committed to completing what Halyna and I started," he said. "My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna's legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf."
Joel himself was injured in the shooting that took Halyna's life.
We can't even imagine how difficult it will be for Joel and everyone else to return to the set after a gun that Alec was holding discharged, fatally striking Halyna. The gun had been loaded with live ammo, which Joel's statement addressed. According to him, safety officers have been added to the crew to make sure that there aren't any "working weapons" or "any form of ammunition" on set.
Halyna's husband also will be participating in the filming.
As part of a settlement agreement, Matthew Hutchins will be taking on an executive producer role for Rust. Cinematographer Bianca Cline will take over Halyna's role when production starts back up sometime within the next few months.
This has to be a complicated time for Matthew, who shares a son with Halyna.
This news comes shortly after Alec was charged for his alleged role in Halyna's death.
On January 19, New Mexico prosecutors announced they were charging Alec and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who oversaw the film's weaponry, with involuntary manslaughter. Both were formally charged on January 31.
If they are found guilty, they could be looking at up to five years behind bars. Alec's attorney plans to fight the charges, calling the whole ordeal a "terrible miscarriage" of justice.
We imagine there's going to be a lot of curiosity surrounding the film.
With such a tragic backstory, there's likely going to be some people heading to the box office purely out of a sense of morbid curiosity.
We hope the decision to complete the film doesn't negatively affect those who loved Halyna. The renewed attention has got to be difficult, especially considering it's unlikely to die down until well after Rust finally hits screens.
