After Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were criminally charged due to their involvement with the Rust shooting, the movie is now available to general audiences. The Western, which stars Baldwin as outlaw Harland Rust, was originally intended to be a small-scale production with a budget of under $10 million. Tragically, a devastating accident led to cinematographer Haylna Hutchins’ death, after Baldwin’s prop gun proved to hold live ammunition. Three years after the incident, the movie was officially released on May 2, despite initial speculation that it would never be finished.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Grant Hermanns, Josh Hopkins (Wood Helm) explained exactly why the cast returned to the production. While Hutchins’ death was extremely painful for everyone involved, the profits will go directly to her family. Hopkins stated that “her husband asked me to come back and finish this,“ which was his primary reason for returning. He believes that it will allow audiences to see “what a beautiful artist she was“. Check out his full quote below:

I appreciate that. I really appreciate the respect you’ve shown to steer away from the obvious elephant in the room. But none of the profits of this movie are going to the original producers. Profits are going to Halyna’s husband and son and her parents and her sister. The family requested that we come back and finish this, because they wanted the world to see Halyna’s art and her incredible work. I speak for myself, but I’m pretty sure I can speak for them, I don’t think anyone would have come back to finish this movie if without their blessing. Her husband asked me to come back and finish this. Everybody knows about the tragedy, but now they get to see what she was doing, and what a beautiful artist she was. I think it’s important that people know that nobody would have come back and do this without the blessing of her family.

What Rust’s Release Means For The Hutchins Family

All Profits Will Go To Them

The shooting took place on October 21, 2021, when Hutchins was just 42 years old. It would have been a simple decision to end the production entirely, as this was a movie that led to a tragic death. Director Joel Souza (Crown Vic) was also injured by the accidental discharge and took time to recover. With multiple members of Rust‘s cast and crew facing criminal charges, ending production would have been a natural decision. The decision to return to the Western is curious, but Hopkins’ explanation provides a more understandable reason for their return.

Respecting Hutchins’ work is the primary driving factor, as it marks her final project. The cinematographer, who worked on nearly a dozen films, has already left a legacy within the industry, leading to significant reforms that included the banning of prop guns from many sets. The second reason for the cast’s return is that the movie’s producers will not see any profit from their investment, as it will instead go to Hutchins’ relatives. It is a gesture that the producers did not necessarily need to make, but it certainly honors their loss.

Our Take On The Rust Cast’s Return

They Made The Right Decision

If not for Hutchins’ family, I likely would have argued that the entire production should be scrapped entirely, as no movie is worth the life of a crew member. Given that they wanted to see it completed, however, the cast’s return to Rust was undoubtedly the correct decision. They were doing nothing more than respecting the wishes of her family while engaging in what was essentially helping her relatives. This was a devastating tragedy, but it is touching to see that her family is now able to see the fruits of Hutchins’ talent.