American actor Alec Baldwin announced on Wednesday that he had reached an agreement with the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, whom he had killed in October 2021 while handling a revolver during the filming of the western “Rust”, a dramatic news item which shocked Hollywood.
In an Instagram post, the comedian said he was “grateful to all those who have contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful case”. Production on the film will resume in January 2023, according to a separate statement obtained by AFP.
The agreement puts an end to the civil legal proceedings initiated by Ms Hutchins’ family against Alec Baldwin.
The amount of this negotiated agreement, which must then be validated by a judge, was not disclosed.
“I have no desire to launch recriminations or point out the culprits (either the producers or Mr. Baldwin), commented the husband of the cinematographer, Matthew Hutchins, quoted in the press release of the production of the movie. “We are all convinced that Halyna’s death resulted from a terrible accident.”
Filming is due to resume in January 2023, “with all the main protagonists,” he says, adding that he will be the executive producer.
On October 21, 2021, the filming of this western on a ranch in Santa Fe (New Mexico) had turned tragic when Mr. Baldwin had activated a weapon supposed to contain only dummy bullets but whose projectile had fatally injured Halyna Hutchins, 42 years old.
This filming accident, in a country regularly bereaved by firearms, had a very strong impact, beyond the American borders. The news item had led Hollywood studios to reflect on the rules and conditions for making films.
Alec Baldwin, 64, who has starred in many action movies, made a name for himself with his comedic portrayal of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.