Lawyers for the parties revealed on Wednesday that the family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who Alec Baldwin tragically shot on the set of the movie "Rust" last year, has reached a settlement in its wrongful-death lawsuit against producers, including Mr. Baldwin.According to the conditions of the settlement, filming will start up again in January with executive producer Matthew Hutchins, the late Ms. Hutchins's husband. Joel Souza, the original director of the movie, will be in charge of directing it.
Mr. Baldwin was training with a gun that was supposed to be empty of live rounds when it went off, killing Ms. Hutchins and injuring Mr. Souza. According to new information from the Santa Fe County District Attorney's Office, up to four people could face criminal prosecution.
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The lawsuit, which was brought in February by Ms. Hutchins's husband, her young son, and the executor of her estate, accused Mr. Baldwin and the other defendants of reckless behavior and cost-cutting measures that put the crew in danger, including not carrying out basic safety checks and following gun safety regulations.
In a statement regarding the settlement sent through his attorney, Mr. Hutchins stated, "The filming of 'Rust,' which I will now executive produce, will continue in January 2023 with all the original major performers on board." "I am thankful that the producers and the entertainment industry have joined together to honor Halyna's final work," he continued.
On October 21, 2021, Ms. Hutchins, 42, was tragically shot while Mr. Baldwin practiced pulling a vintage handgun from a shoulder holster. In a television interview from last year, Mr. Baldwin claimed that he did not pull the trigger of the gun when it fired a live cartridge, despite his insistence that he was not at fault for the fatal shooting.
The Santa Fe County District Attorney's Office has requested additional cash to pay costs if charges were made, which might result in multiple high-profile trials. Additional civil cases have also been brought against the production by members of the crew.
Up to four persons, including Mr. Baldwin, might face charges if prosecutors conclude that criminal charges are necessary, according to the office's request for money. Why live bullets were on the set of the movie and how at least one got into the gun that Mr. Baldwin was handling are still mysteries.
The settlement's specifics would not be disclosed further, according to Mr. Hutchins' attorneys. The initial case also included Mr. Baldwin, the production company, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Dave Halls, the first assistant director, and Seth Kenney, a vendor of weapons and ammunition for the movie, in addition to the production company and Mr. Baldwin. However, neither the inclusion of Mr. Hutchins in the settlement nor the possibility of Mr. Baldwin reprising his role as Harland Rust when filming resumes were addressed by the Mr. Hutchins' legal counsel.
"Throughout this challenging process, everyone has kept the specific intention to do what is best for Halyna's son," Mr. Baldwin's attorney Luke Nikas said. We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped bring this unfortunate and upsetting situation to an end.
According to Melina Spadone, an attorney for Rust Movie Productions, the resolution "marks an essential step forward in commemorating Halyna's life and appreciating her work."
Ms. Gutierrez-attorney, Reed's Jason Bowles, released a statement in which he expressed his client's gratitude that the Hutchins family would benefit from the settlement and their hope that the district attorney's office would decide not to pursue criminal charges because they felt that "a measure of justice has been achieved in regards to this tragic accident." Mr. Bowles stated that he was unsure whether his client would be affected by the dismissal of the settled litigation.
The district attorney's office spokeswoman, Heather Brewer, said in a statement on Wednesday that the settlement had no impact on whether the office will bring legal action.
Charges will be filed, she said, "if the facts and evidence support criminal charges under New Mexico law." No one is exempt from the law.
In "Rust," which is set in late 19th-century Kansas, Baldwin plays a grizzled outlaw who is attempting to free his adolescent grandson from a hanging sentence following the unintentional killing of a local rancher. When the pistol went off in the scene Mr. Baldwin was preparing, his character was surrounded by law enforcement in a tiny wooden church and decided to shoot his way out.
"Someone is accountable for what happened," Mr. Baldwin said in a television interview from last year. "I can't tell who that is, but I know it's not me."
After Mr. Baldwin denied responsibility, Mr. Hutchins gave a furious response, saying, "The idea that the guy holding the pistol and causing it to discharge is not responsible to me is ludicrous," in a later television interview.
The statement released by Mr. Hutchins on Wednesday stated that he had "no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame" to Mr. Baldwin or any other producers.
The statement read, "All of us believe Halyna's death was a sad accident."
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