Following the deadly on-set accident that took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October, Alec Baldwin had led an effort by the filmmakers to have the film completed. Per Variety, Baldwin revealed these plans in an arbitration filing on Friday, which was filed with the goal of removing himself from legal liability. The arbitration was filed against lead producer Ryan Smith along with Rust Move Productions LLC, citing the indemnification clause of his producer contract that would force Smith and the production entity to assume all legal liability and cover Baldwin's defense costs.
Back in October, Baldwin, who was serving as both a producer and the lead star of Rust, had been preparing for a scene with a Colt .45 in his hand when the firearm went off. Police believe the live round had somehow gotten mixed up with the dummy rounds on the set and the case is still under active investigation. Production on Rust was suspended soon after the tragedy, and it seems rather unlikely that the film will ever be finished.
In the new arbitration paperwork, Baldwin details how he tried to arrange a settlement with Hutchins' widower to complete the film. The actor says he personally took charge in persuading director Joel Souza, who was injured in the incident, as welli as the primary cast members, to complete the production. This was part of a proposed settlement that would compensate Halyna Hutchins' family. The settlement would have ensured the Hutchins family to be financially compensated with Baldwin noting that finishing the film would also honor Halyna's legacy.
“No one who had been involved in Rust is eager to return to New Mexico,” the filing reads. “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.”
The filing adds, “Depending on the success of Rust upon its completion and release, this additional component of the settlement would likely have equaled millions of dollars."
Baldwin says Halyna's widower, Matthew, called the idea "interesting" when it was discussed with the actor/producer in early January, though he was "less open-minded" during a subsequent call a few weeks later. Hutchins ended up filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and the filmmakers on Feb. 15 and publicly expressed his anger with Baldwin for not accepting fault in Halyna's death. The filing states that this ended the settlement talks.
Alec Baldwin Denies All Legal Liability in Halyna Hutchins' Death
In the arbitration filing, Alec Baldwin reiterates his version of events on what happened that day. This includes his claim that as a "creative" producer on the film, he wasn't involved with the hiring of any crew members whose alleged lack of safety precautions led to the tragedy. Also noted is that, as an actor, Baldwin was not responsible for checking the gun to make sure it did not contain live rounds, suggesting that these duties fell on the crew. The idea is to further establish that Baldwin is not legally responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins.
“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,” the filing reads.