The subject of safety on set has been a hot button issue for the film and industry for a few years now, largely thanks to a number of sobering accidents that have occurred; some of which (like the motorcycle crash in Deadpool 2) resulting in death. Perhaps nowhere is that more obvious than the tragedy that occurred on the set of Alec Baldwin's Rust, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed by a prop gun with a live round. Following the investigation findings, Baldwin maintains he never pulled the trigger.
The public has been following the Rust situation for months now, with Alec Baldwin also doing televised interviews and claiming he was fully cooperating with the investigation. The forensics report indicated that the type of gun that resulted in the shooting couldn't have been fired without the trigger being pulled. But during a recent appearance on The Chris Cuomo Project, Baldwin insisted he never did such an action. Instead, he thinks that the big question should be around who put a live bullet in the prop weapon. As the 30 Rock alum put it,
The man who is the principal safety officer of the set of the film declared the gun was safe when he handed it to me. The man who was the principal safety officer of the film declared in front of the entire assemblage, ‘This is a cold gun.’ Now, why did he say that if he didn’t know and hadn’t checked? The point is we were told everything was cool and you can relax and we are working with a gun that is safe to rehearse with. What is likely is that someone who was responsible for one situation or one line of responsibility and the other person — a tandem of the two people — one of them or both were negligent.
This is a solid point related to the tragedy on Rust's set that ultimately took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. While it remains to be seen if Alec Baldwin is seen liable by the legal system, the presence of a live bullet is definitely a concerning aspect of the situation that ultimately resulted in in the shooting. We'll just have to wait and see how the situation ultimately shakes out, and who is found culpable for Hutchins' death.
While Alec Baldwin's appearance on The Chris Cuomo Project included his claim that he never pulled the trigger, it wasn't all about his own personal experience and stakes. Later in that same interview, he put the focus back on the the heartbreaking truth: that no investigation will be able to bring Halyna Hutchins back. In Baldwin's words,
Nothing is going to bring this woman back. She’s dead. She has a little boy. This is the real tragedy. Everything we’ve said doesn’t matter – me, the press. My point is, the real tragedy is here is what happened to this woman.
At the time of writing this story, no criminal charges have been filed for anyone involved in Rust for the death of Halyna Hutchins. While the FBI's reports are potentially damaging for Alec Baldwin, it's unclear how the situation will ultimately shake out. One thing is clear: the accident has inspired change within the industry, with A-listers like Dwayne Johnson committing to no longer using real guns on set.
It remains to be seen if Rust will ever be completed, although producer Anjul Nigam hinted that work might continue on the infamous project. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
