Alec Baldwin doesn’t want to watch ‘Rust’ amid death of cinematographer
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(Credits: Rust Movie Productions)
During an interview at the Torino Film Festival, Alec Baldwin admitted that he doesn’t want to watch the final cut of Rust.
Baldwin attended the festival in Turin, Italy, more than three years after the accidental death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the indie western. He was there to receive a career honour and was understandably reticent to talk about her death and his part in it.
Baldwin was handling the prop gun that led to Hutchins’ death and has spent much of the last three years fighting an involuntary manslaughter legal battle. The case was finally dismissed in July 2024 because the prosecution failed to turn over evidence, and Baldwin hopes it’s a sign he can now try to put the past behind him.
The star revealed that he travelled to Montana to meet with director Joel Souza to find a way to finish the film. He intimated that completing the picture is the only way to settle a legal case with Hutchins’ husband Matt, who he claimed now solely owns the rights to the film. Baldwin said in a new interview with Variety, “I waived my fee. I gave them back the fee in the budget. I waived all my backend. I gave everything to her husband. He owns the film.”
Finishing the film and watching the final product are two different things for Baldwin, though. The actor admitted he hadn’t watched the final cut, explaining, “I was sent a rough cut early on before everything got a little more sticky and difficult. So, I haven’t seen the film. But, again, I hope the film is released, that it comes out. That it makes its money back for its investors. You never want these people who believed in your project to be left high and dry. And I hope the movie is sold, and that he gets his money. We all made a deal with him, and we all want to follow through.”
When asked if he actually had any desire to see it, Baldwin confessed, “Right now, no. Only because this is obviously the most difficult thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life. Beyond the victims themselves, the thing that most pains me is what it did to my wife. My wife has been very, very traumatised from this.”
He continued: “There has been a lot of pain. When you are married to somebody, and everything was going fairly well and we had seven kids, and the floor falls out. It’s very frightening and very disturbing. And we are trying to get the wind in our sails, to get away from this stuff. Because the film doesn’t stand by itself, it’s always going to be overshadowed by this.”
Ultimately, Baldwin stated, “I am happy that the film got completed. It’s been such a tragedy, which of course, we would do anything to undo. But we arrived to the reshoot, and it was a better film in a lot of of ways. Other than Halyna. But for now, I want all things Rust to just leave my windshield so I can go and do other things and be a father to my children.”
Are Alec Baldwin’s legal troubles over?
Baldwin’s legal issues may not be as far in the rearview mirror as he hopes. Special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey has appealed to the New Mexico Court of Appeals to reconsider dismissing the case. In addition, Baldwin may still face up to a dozen civil lawsuits connected with the tragic incident.
At this stage, it remains to be seen whether the case will go to retrial or whether Baldwin can finally move on from the sorry Rust saga.
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