(Headline USA) Alec Baldwin has been replaced as the leading actor in an upcoming spy thriller.
The new movie, Chief of Station, originally cast Baldwin as the lead in the project. But he is now stepping down from the film and his role will be taken on by Aaron Eckhart, according to Deadline.
Baldwin’s team claimed the decision was the result of Baldwin’s busy travel schedule, saying he is still working on a shoot in Budapest that it taking longer than expected.
However, the news also followed a report from Santa Fe investigators that they’ve finished their investigation into the fatal Rust shooting that Baldwin was involved in and that criminal charges may be imminent.
“Today, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies received the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s investigative report on the Rust movie set incident,” Heather Brewer, the spokesperson for Santa Fe’s top prosecutor, said in a statement last week.
“The District Attorney and her team of investigators and prosecutors will now begin a thorough review of the information and evidence to make a thoughtful, timely decision about whether to bring charges,” she added.
Brewer also clarified that criminal charges are still possible even though Baldwin recently reached a settlement with the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died after Baldwin fired a loaded gun on set.
“While civil suits are settled privately and often involve financial awards, criminal cases deal only in facts. If the facts and evidence warrant criminal charges under New Mexico law then charges will be brought. No one is above the law,” Brewer said last month.
Last year, Baldwin raised concerns about whether he’d be able to keep working in Hollywood following the shooting.
“I got fired from another job yesterday,” he told CNN at the time. “There I was all set to go to a movie, jump on a plane. I’ve been talking with these guys for months and they told me yesterday we don’t want to do the film with you because of this.”
