{"id":98505,"date":"2022-10-16T05:03:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-16T05:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/rust-production-restart-stirs-complicated-feelings-for-crew\/"},"modified":"2022-10-16T05:03:07","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T05:03:07","slug":"rust-production-restart-stirs-complicated-feelings-for-crew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/rust-production-restart-stirs-complicated-feelings-for-crew\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Rust’ Production Restart Stirs Complicated Feelings for Crew"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\tThe settlement that will allow production to resume on \u201cRust\u201d has stirred feelings among the film’s crew, with some saying they would not return to the project while others support the decision.<\/p>\n

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\tThe producers announced on Oct. 5 that they plan to resume production in January, more than a year after Alec Baldwin shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while preparing for a scene at a location near Santa Fe, NM<\/p>\n

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\tThe producers \u2014 including Baldwin \u2014 settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, and said they intend to complete the film to honor Hutchins’ memory.<\/p>\n

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\tThe allegations that the production cut corners to save money, and put the crew at risk. And several crew members said they did feel unsafe and have no intention of going back.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cI absolutely would want nothing to do with it,\u201d said one crew member, who asked not to be identified. \u201cIt was traumatizing across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tBut other crew members have said that the production was not as hazardous as it’s been portrayed.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cThey didn’t cut corners \u2014 they did everything right,\u201d said Aaron Ward, who did location work on the film. \u201cIt was just a freak accident, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tAsked whether he supports resuming production, Ward said, \u201cI’m all for it. I say, give the proceeds to the family and have a field day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tThe district attorney continues to investigate, and may yet file criminal charges in the case. Three other civil suits are still pending. <\/p>\n

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\tThe New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Review Commission is also expected to conduct an eight-day hearing on set safety violations in April. The production is challenging the state agency’s conclusion that it violated industry firearms rules and showed \u201cplain indifference\u201d to set safety. The production is also disputing a $136,793 penalty.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cThe whole thing is challenging and complicated and messy,\u201d said another crew member, who asked not to be identified out of concern over an NDA. \u201cA lot of people around me were really hurt by those events.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tIf he were asked, he said didn’t think he could return to his job.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cThere’s just sort of a concern how I would emotionally respond to being in that space again,\u201d he said. \u201cI don’t know that I would do my job well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tScott Rasmussen, an armorer based in Albuquerque, turned down an offer to work on \u201cRust\u201d last year. Since the settlement was announced, he said he had talked to at least eight other crew members.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cNobody likes the idea at all,\u201d he said. \u201cThat’s not the way to honor Halyna \u2014 going back in and finishing the movie with the person who killed her. To have Alec Baldwin associated with the movie any longer is an insult to her memory. Everybody I’ve spoken to will not work on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tThe crew member who felt traumatized by the production also said the idea of \u200b\u200bcompleting the film made her uneasy.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cThey’re continuing on and using this whole scandal for publicity \u2014 which is what Hollywood does all the time,\u201d she said. \u201cIt does not sit right with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tBut another crew member said that Matthew Hutchins’ decision to participate as an executive producer meant a lot to him.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cI think he’s doing it for all the right reasons,\u201d the crew member said. \u201cAt a bare minimum, that project is the dream that his wife was working on, and right up to the accident, we had a beautiful-looking movie. If Matt wants to make the movie, and if Alec is willing to continue making the movie, then I think we should make the movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tEd Pinkard, an animal wrangler who worked with horses on the film, said he also supports completing the project.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cI’d like to see ’em finish, because I feel Halyna would want that,\u201d he said. \u201cIt might bring a sense of closure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJazz Tangcay contributed to this story.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n