Months after his involvement in the deadly accident on the set of the Western movie Rust, Alec Baldwin is looking to move forward with his acting career. In October 2021, Baldwin - a producer and lead star of the film - had reportedly been preparing for a scene that required his character to draw and aim his weapon. A live round that had somehow gotten mixed in with the dummy ammunition was discharged from the firearm at this time, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Currently, the case is still under police investigation, and no one has been formally charged with a crime at this time in relation to the tragedy. There have, however, been many lawsuits filed, including a wrongful death case against Baldwin and others involved filed by Hutchins' husband. It's an unfortunate situation all around, but in any case, Baldwin has lined up work elsewhere as the investigation continues.
Per Deadline, Baldwin has signed on to star in two Italian films alongside his brother, Daniel Baldwin, and Elva Trill. From Italian director Francesco Cinquemani, the live-action/animated films are Christmas family comedies dubbed Kid Santa and Billie's Magic World. The Baldwin brothers are also on board to produce from Minerva Pictures alongside Andrea Iervolino and Monica Bacardi's ILBE.
Baldwin also recently worked on the hijacking thriller film 97 Minutes in the U.K., which is directed by Timo Vuorensola (Iron Sky) and also stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers and MyAnna Buring. The actor also serves as the narrator of the true-crime podcast Art Fraud. Last year, Baldwin appeared in the Peacock series Dr. Death and returned as the lead voice in the animated sequel The Boss Baby: Family Business.
Alec Baldwin Attempted to Finish Rust Before Moving on to Other Movies
In an arbitration filing responding to the lawsuits, Alec Baldwin revealed that he had spearheaded efforts to finish work on Rust after Halyna Hutchins' tragic death. The actor says he had convinced director Joel Souza along with cast and crew members to return to complete the movie with the goal of contributing profits to the Hutchins family, as well as honoring her legacy. When Hutchins' husband filed the wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and other members of the Rust production, those plans to finish the film were halted.
“No one who had been involved in Rust is eager to return to New Mexico,” the filing had read. “It was only after an enormous input of time and work that Baldwin was able to convince each of the primary actors needed to complete the film and the film’s director Souza — who had been injured in that day’s events — that finishing Rust was an important step in honoring Halyna Hutchins’s memory and talent, defining her legacy, and, in turn, providing financial support to her family.”
Looking to also clear himself from legal liability related to the incident, Baldwin's filing added, "At this point, two things are clear: someone is culpable for chambering the live round that led to this horrific tragedy, and it is someone other than Baldwin."
Baldwin's new Italian films don't have set release dates at this time.