Filming of Rust will be resuming in January, thanks to settlement of a lawsuit filed by the family of Halyna Hutchins, who was accidentally shot and killed on the set in October of 2021.

The suit against Alec Baldwin and others was filed in New Mexico in February 2022; it alleged that safety standards were not being followed by the production company. Hutchins died of gunshot wounds when a weapon thought to be “cold” was fired.

According to the terms of the settlement, Halyna’s widower Matthew Hutchins will be listed as an executive producer of the film and will be receiving a share of the profits.
In announcing the resolution, Hutchins said in a statement: “We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. 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. I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr.

Baldwin). 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.”

Alec Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas added, “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.

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Joel Souza, the director of Rust, is expected to resume his duties moving forward. He was also injured in the incident. When the settlement was reached, he paid tribute to Halyna Hutchins and vowed to continue the project as a tribute to her contributions, issuing the following statement: “Those of us who were lucky enough to have spent time with Halyna knew her to be exceedingly talented, kind, creative, and a source of incredible positive energy. I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work.”

Souza added, “In my own attempts to heal, any decision to return to finish directing the film could only make sense for me if it was done with the involvement of Matt and the Hutchins family. Though certainly bittersweet, I am pleased that together, we will now complete what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna’s legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf.”

News of the settlement was first reported today by Deadline.