Embattled actor Alec Baldwin is back to work with the Western movie Rust resuming filming in Montana. The shoot picks up after the movie was put on hold due to the on-set accident that took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. At the time, Baldwin had been preparing for a scene while holding a working firearm that had a live round in the chamber, leading to the accident. After a lengthy investigation, criminal charges were filed against Baldwin, but they were recently dropped.
Per TMZ, new images have been revealed from the set of Rust with Baldwin back under the cowboy hat to finish filming the Western. One image shows Baldwin holding a prop shotgun, and he can be seen passing it off, handle first, to another actor or crew member. Another photo reveals Baldwin in character standing alongside a horse. The images are floating around online, and you can see them in the tweet below.
While Baldwin is handling prop firearms again, the production team has stated how all of the guns used for the remainder of the shoot won't be working weapons. Rust Movie Productions attorney Melina Spadone previously told BBC, "[The production] will bar any use of working weapons and any form of ammunition. Live ammunition is - and always was - prohibited on set."
One reason the criminal charges against Baldwin may have been dropped is that it seems he was right all along about one key claim he had made. From the start, Baldwin had said he never actually pulled the trigger on the prop firearm he was given, which he'd also been told was safe to use. It was argued that this type of firearm couldn't shoot unless someone pulled the trigger, though it was recently conceded by the Santa Fe district attorney that this particular prop gun had a modified trigger, making it much more likely that the gun in fact misfired.
Alec Baldwin Returns to Hollywood
It's also been revealed that Baldwin has snagged another starring role. He will play himself in the meta-comedy movie Hollywood Heist, which is the feature directorial debut for Mike Hatton. Mickey Rourke, Nick Cannon, Tara Reid, and Paul Sloan also star. The announcement came almost immediately after it was reported that the charges against Baldwin were getting dropped.
Rust doesn't yet have a release date.