If production on Joel Souza’s Western drama Rust had gone off without a hitch in 2021, chances are it would’ve come and gone without many people knowing it existed. Instead, the filming led to the tragic accidental death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by star Alec Baldwin, leading to multiple lawsuits and manslaughter charges. Production resumed in New Mexico two years later, and now we have the first trailer for a film that will forever be marred by tragedy.
Written and directed by Souza (who was also injured in the shooting) from a story he conceived with Baldwin, Rust also stars Travis Fimmel, Patrick Scott McDermott, Frances Fisher, Jake Busy, and Josh Hopkins.
SYNOPSIS: In 1880s Kansas, recently orphaned Lucas McCalister (Patrick Scott McDermott) “accidentally kills” a rancher and is sentenced to hang. In a twist of fate, his estranged grandfather, the notorious outlaw Harland Rust (Academy Award nominee Alec Baldwin), breaks him out of jail and takes him on the run toward Mexico. As they flee across the unforgiving wilderness, the fugitive pair must outrun the determined U.S. Marshal Wood Helm (Josh Hopkins) and a ruthless bounty hunter named “Preacher” (Travis Fimmel).
A documentary on Halyna Hutchins was recently released on Hulu and is worth checking out. It’ll be interesting to see how the public reacts to the release of Rust into theaters on May 2nd. Baldwin was a divisive figure before this, and has long since stopped being a box office draw. Could the controversy draw more attention to the film than it would’ve previously had? Or steer even more audiences away?
