News

Rust producers shut movie down ‘at least until investigations are complete’

Jensen Ackles paid tribute to Halyna Hutchins on Instagram.

Production on Rust has been shut down “at least until investigations are complete” following the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

On Thursday last week, Alec Baldwin was filming the Western at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, when he discharged a prop gun, accidentally killing 42-year-old Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

The production team released a letter to the crew on Sunday night, announcing that they’ve “made the decision to wrap the set at least until investigations are complete.”

“Our hearts are with all of you, as we all go through this tragic time and mourn the loss of our colleague and dear friend, Halyna Hutchins,” the letter continued, reports Deadline. “We are family and we must stand beside each other as families do in difficult times. We remain in close touch with Halyna’s family and commend the strength they show in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

“We will be making a donation to the Halyna Hutchins Scholarship Fund established by Halyna’s family. We will be matching any donations by the crew.”

In the letter, the producers stated they were conducting their own internal review of the film’s safety protocols and making in-person and virtual grief counsellors available to the crew.

The investigation into the incident by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office remains open and active and they will be holding a press conference to provide further details on Wednesday.

Baldwin’s co-star Jensen Ackles broke his silence about the tragedy on Sunday night and paid tribute to Hutchins.

“This has been a tragedy of epic proportions that we are all still processing,” the Supernatural star wrote. “Earlier last week I felt compelled to tell Halyna just how awesome I thought she was. I told her how incredible I thought her camera shots were and just how exciting it was to watch her and her team work. Truly. She laughed and said thank you and gave me a hug. I’ll forever be thankful we had that moment. She had a spunk and passion that infected the entire crew from the top down.

“My heart and prayers go out to Halyna’s husband, son and the rest of her family. There just aren’t enough words to express what an immense loss this is. She will be incredibly missed by all of us who knew and admired her.”

He concluded his post by encouraging his fans to follow in his footsteps by donating to the AFI memorial scholarship fund in Hutchins’ name as well as a GoFundMe campaign to support Hutchins’ husband Matthew and their nine-year-old son.

© Cover Media