(Headline USA) The Rust film will move to Yellowstone to continue filming this year, leaving its original shooting location in New Mexico after state prosecutors filed criminal charges against Alec Baldwin for his role in a fatal shooting on set.
Yellowstone Film Ranch co-founders Richard Gray, Carter Boehm, and Colin Davis confirmed the film’s relocation in a statement this week, saying that their goal in allowing Rust to film on their site is to honor deceased cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot by Baldwin.
“We’ve learned so much about Halyna as a friend and colleague, the depth of her artistry, and the lasting impact she had on so many,” they said. “We are honored to play a role in the realization of her vision and to carry forward her inspiring legacy through championing this film. The dedication and passion of the entire ‘Rust’ production team to honor Halyna’s vision has deeply moved us.”
In a separate statement, the film’s director Joe Souza, who was injured during the shooting, said he is looking forward to resuming the film’s production.
“The beauty of Montana surpasses words, and the warm hospitality and kindness extended by everyone I’ve met has been both humbling and inspiring,” he said, adding that it’s a “privilege to work with such great partners as we see this through on Halyna’s behalf.”
The relocation comes weeks after the Santa Fe County District Attorney’s Office filed Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter for Hutchins’s death. Last week, the prosecutors dropped an enhancement charge against Baldwin. But if he is convicted, he could still face 18 months in prison.
Baldwin pleaded not guilty to the charges this week, and was granted permission to continue filming under conditions laid out by a New Mexico judge on Thursday. He is allowed to have “contact with potential witnesses” on set only so long as he is filming, but must not discuss “the accident at issue” or the “substance of his or the witnesses’ potential testimony in the case,” the judge ruled.
