Rust, the film that ran into trouble due to a horrific on-set tragedy involving lead actor Alec Baldwin, has received a release date. According to Newsweek, Rust’s world premiere is scheduled for Poland’s Camerimage Festival, scheduled to be held between November 16 and 23. The film was originally scheduled to release in 2022, but its production was halted in October 2021 after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on the set. Mr Baldwin was holding a gun that discharged during the filming, near Santa Fe.
While Ms Hutchins was killed, writer-director Joel Souza was injured. A trial was held during which Mr Baldwin said he was unaware there were live rounds, and denied pulling the trigger.
In July this year, he was cleared of involuntary manslaughter charges by a New Mexico judge.
"Almost three years after the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins, a Ukrainian cinematographer who was part of the festival family, Camerimage is set to honour her memory and remind the world of her legacy," Newsweek quoted a press release from the festival as saying about the release of the film.
Bianca Cline, who took over after Ms Hutchins' death, said the screening will be a tribute to her.
"We wanted to do this to honour her and to make sure that people could see what she was working on," said Ms Cline. "I think once people see it, they'll understand more of why we finished this. I think it's gotten painted as some sort of low-budget genre film and I think it's anything but. I think it's a really beautiful film. It's Halyna's best work."
Mr Baldwin's team has not yet commented about the release of the film.
Legal proceedings against him were turbulent, marked by conflicting forensic reports and witness testimonies since charges were first filed in January 2023, dropped, and later reinstated.
The incident had sparked widespread scrutiny over safety protocols on film sets.
