Alec Baldwin's Rust Names Halyna Hutchins' Replacement After Her On-Set Death

A lot has changed since the movie "Rust" first began filming. According to Vulture, production for the film started in October of 2021, and it was expected to last for 21 days. But only days after the film began shooting, tragedy struck on the New Mexico set. CBS News reports that Alec Baldwin held a gun that accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins as he practiced a scene for the movie with a prop gun. The bullet from Baldwin's gun also struck director Joel Souza, but he luckily recovered from his injuries. After the shooting, Baldwin has continued to maintain his innocence, insisting that someone on set handed him a gun that he thought had dummy rounds, but instead, the weapon was loaded a real bullet that ultimately struck and killed Hutchins.

Hutchins' husband, Matthew, pressed charges against Baldwin and the production company, but only a few months later, he dropped the charges against the Hollywood star. "I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attributing blame (to the producers or Baldwin). All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident," Matthew wrote in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. "I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work." The outlet also reported that Matthew would serve as an executive producer for the movie.

While Matthew is slated to help with the film, it looks like the production company has also found someone to replace his late wife.

Production is moving forward for Alec Baldwin's film "Rust," which means there needs to be a replacement for the late cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. According to Variety, cinematographer Bianca Cline will take over Hutchins' role. Prior to landing the gig on the set of "Rust," Cline worked on the film "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On." In addition, the production company also revealed that Grant Hill will step in as a producer on the film. He has plenty of experience, working in the past on the "Matrix" films. To honor Hutchins, "Rust" producers also announced that a documentary will be made to honor the late cinematographer. With the support of her husband, the documentary will cover the projects that Hutchins has worked on, including finishing the film "Rust."

Things have still been rocky for Baldwin, who continues to face legal trouble after the shooting. In January, BBC reported that the Santa Fe District Attorney's Office charged the actor with involuntary manslaughter. District attorney Robert Shilling claimed that Baldwin had been using his phone during training, which played a part in the shooting of Hutchins. "This reckless deviation from known standards and practice and protocol directly caused the fatal shooting," Shilling wrote in his probable cause statement. "Baldwin knew the first rule of gun safety is never point a gun at someone you don't intend on shooting." The attorney's office also charged the armorer on set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, with involuntary manslaughter.