Wow. Didn’t see this coming!
Alec Baldwin has reached a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit lobbied against him, the producers of Rust, and other key members of the crew by Halyna Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins.
The lawsuit was originally filed in February in Santa Fe. In the filing, Matthew claimed the production companies and producers involved “cut corners” and “chose to hire the cheapest crew available” thus resulting in the accidental shooting death of the cinematographer on set. The suit also argued they “knowingly hired a wholly unqualified armorer,” Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and required her to split time in a second role as assistant props master.
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In a shocking statement released on Wednesday, Matthew not only announced a settlement had been reached pending court approval but that Rust would go back into production this January — with his support! WHAT?! He revealed via CNN:
“We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed. The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023. I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). 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.”
Whoa…
As part of the deal, Matthew will also receive a portion of the film’s profits. We never thought the western would see the light of day, to be honest. And with “all the original principal players”?? We assume that means the actors and director — and hopefully not any of the staff who allegedly allowed this catastrophe to happen in the first place!
For his part, Alec Baldwin addressed the settlement on Instagram, writing on Wednesday morning:
“We are pleased to announce today the settlement of the civil case filed on behalf of the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. 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.”
It is nice to hear Halyna’s family is getting what they wanted after this tragedy. We cannot imagine the pain they must still be feeling, including her young son, Andros.
According to IMDb, the upcoming film stars Alec, Jensen Ackles, and Travis Fimmel. It was written and will be directed by Joel Souza, who was injured when Alec’s prop gun fired a bullet on set. Joel is also planning to return to the project — all to honor his late colleague. He expressed in a statement per CNN:
“Those of us who were lucky enough to have spent time with Halyna knew her to be exceedingly talented, kind, creative, and a source of incredible positive energy. I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work. In my own attempts to heal, any decision to return to finish directing the film could only make sense for me if it was done with the involvement of Matt and the Hutchins family. Though certainly bittersweet, I am pleased that together, we will now complete what Halyna and I started. 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.”
So sweet. It’ll no doubt be a very emotional filming experience for them all.
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Rust Movie Productions, LLC’s attorney Melina Spadone of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman acknowledged the surprising update in another statement, saying:
“We are pleased the parties came together to resolve this matter, which, subject to court approval, marks an important step forward in celebrating Halyna’s life and honoring her work.”
We sincerely hope they seriously improve their safety protocols moving forward. That is the way to truly honor and pay their respects to Halyna.
It’s also inneresting to hear the project will begin filming in a matter of months when Alec could still be facing criminal charges. Surely if anyone involved in the movie gets arrested, it won’t be possible to continue, right?? Or do they know if he’s been let off the hook? Hmm. What do you think about their decision to continue making the movie, Perezcious readers? Is it the right thing to do? Let us know your initial reactions (below).
[Image via Santa Fe County Sheriff/MEGA/WENN & Today/YouTube & Halyna Hutchins/Instagram]
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