Alec Baldwin reportedly wanted to continue filming Rust after the accidental on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins that took place late last year. The shooting happened at Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico while Baldwin, Hutchins, and others were preparing for a scene that involved a .45 Colt Revolver. With an ongoing investigation into Hutchins' death, it's unclear why a live bullet was in the gun at all and who is responsible for the tragic outcome.

As the industry scrutinizes what exactly happened on the set, more information has come out that paints a picture of Rust's potentially unsafe work conditions. The Rust movie crew had been concerned about many things, including a lack of safety checks and skirting of union protocol. Attention has also fallen on the movie's on-set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director David Halls, as both were allegedly expected to check the gun's safety before handing it to actors. Baldwin's response in the following months has been a rollercoaster of regret, sadness, anger, distancing, and denial. His more recent responses of denying responsibility have been met with backlash from the public. Baldwin, who was also a producer for the movie, has been named among other Rust producers and crew in various lawsuits surrounding Hutchins' death.

Related: Why Prop Guns Can Be Lethal: The Real Danger On Film Sets

As reported by The Independent (via The New York Times), Baldwin allegedly wanted to continue filming the indie western movie after the accidental shooting, telling the cast and crew that it would honor Hutchins' memory. Baldwin allegedly told the crew that he wanted to finish the film so that the film's profits and potential insurance payouts could be given to Hutchins' husband Matthew and their son. The filming didn't continue, and the movie likely won't be finished.

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The dynamic between Matthew Hutchins and Baldwin deteriorated after Baldwin's public denial of responsibility in an emotional ABC News interview. Mr. Hutchins has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit that names Baldwin and other producers and crew as responsible. Similar lawsuits have come from Rust crew members themselves, claiming that the producers didn't take all the proper safety measures such as completing gun-safety meetings. Assistant director David Halls had already been fired from a previous film, Freedom's Path, after an on-set incident left a crew member injured. Many of the Rust crew and cast had been expressing concerns that corners were being cut in an attempt to complete the indie production on a tight budget.

The wider industry response to Hutchin's death has been to re-assess the use of real guns on movie sets. In Hollywood, guns with the mechanical potential to do real damage are often used, loaded with blank ammunition that has a casing and gunpowder but no projectile. While some movie sets opt for fake guns that have no functional inner mechanics, others prefer the real-world weight, look and feel of real guns. In the wake of the Rust tragedy, many actors and shows such as ABC's The Rookie are re-assessing this industry practice, some of them banning real guns on their sets to avoid any accidents. Hutchins was not the first person to die from a prop gun while filming a movie, the most famous case being Brandon Lee's accidental death while filming The Crow. Hopefully, the new attention on this issue will lead to real changes in filming safety standards and create safer working conditions for the industry.

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Source: The Independent (via The New York Times)