Rust filming to resume after family of cinematographer shot by Baldwin settles lawsuit

The family of a cinematographer shot and killed by Alec Baldwin last year on the set of the film Rust has agreed to settle a lawsuit against the actor and the movie’s producers, and production on the project will resume in January.

“We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust including Alec Baldwin,” Matthew Hutchins, widower of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, said in a statement on Wednesday.

“As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed. The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board, in January 2023.”

The agreement is a rare piece of positive news for Baldwin, who has had a turbulent year since the October 2021 shooting. The actor, who is also a producer on the film, was pointing a gun at Hutchins when it went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza. They had been inside a small church during setup for filming a scene.

‘Halyna’s death was a terrible accident’

Baldwin has said the gun went off accidentally and that he did not pull the trigger. But a recent FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled.

“I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” Matthew Hutchins, who was a plaintiff in the suit along with his and his wife’s nine-year-old son, said in a statement. “All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”

Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But in a statement to Deadline, which first reported the settlement agreement, he said, “Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation.”