The first official trailer has arrived for *Rust*, the Western film starring Alec Baldwin, which was met with tragedy during production in 2021 when a prop gun accidentally discharged, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injury to director Joel Souza. Despite the incident, the film is set for a theatrical release on May 2, 2025 — and you can now watch the trailer to get a glimpse of what’s to come.
The film’s official synopsis sets the scene:
"In 1880s Kansas, recently orphaned Lucas McCalister (Patrick Scott McDermott) accidentally kills a rancher and is sentenced to hang. In a twist of fate, his estranged grandfather, the notorious outlaw Harland Rust (Academy Award nominee Alec Baldwin), breaks him out of jail and takes him on the run toward Mexico. As they flee across the unforgiving wilderness, the fugitive pair must outrun the determined U.S. Marshal Wood Helm (Josh Hopkins) and a ruthless bounty hunter named 'Preacher' (Travis Fimmel)."
As previously reported, the tragic accident occurred on October 22, 2021, when Baldwin discharged a prop firearm that was believed to be safe — a so-called "cold gun" with no live rounds. In reality, the weapon contained a live round. At the time, Baldwin was demonstrating how he would draw the gun from its holster while pointing it toward the camera — where Hutchins and Souza were standing. The discharge critically injured both.
In the aftermath, legal proceedings followed: charges against Baldwin were dropped in April 2023. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer responsible for preparing the weapon, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison. First assistant director David Halls, who had signed off on the gun as safe, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and received six months of probation.
*Rust* made its world premiere at Poland’s Camerimage Festival in November 2024, where the film paid tribute to Halyna Hutchins in the closing credits. Baldwin was not invited to the event, but Joel Souza attended and spoke about his late colleague:
"We are here in a place that she loved so much, probably second only to being on set. I want to thank you all for coming and for taking a few hours out of your day to come celebrate my friend and to celebrate her art and her talent. She really was something."
