The first trailer for Rust has officially been released, bringing Alec Baldwin’s embattled Western project back into the spotlight nearly three years after the on-set tragedy that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Set against the rugged backdrop of 1880s Kansas, Rust follows a young orphan, Lucas McCalister (Patrick Scott McDermott), who accidentally kills a rancher and is sentenced to hang. Enter Harland Rust (Baldwin), his estranged outlaw grandfather, who breaks Lucas out of jail and leads him on a perilous journey toward the Mexican border. Hot on their heels are a relentless U.S. Marshal (Josh Hopkins) and a vicious bounty hunter named Preacher (Travis Fimmel). Watch below:
The trailer marks the first official footage released to the public since the fatal incident in October 2021, when a prop gun Baldwin was handling discharged a live round, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin was later charged with involuntary manslaughter, though the case was dropped in July 2023. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, however, is serving an 18-month sentence after a live round was found in Baldwin’s gun.
Production on Rust resumed in 2023 with Bianca Cline stepping in as director of photography. The film had its world premiere at Poland’s Camerimage Festival in November, where Souza paid tribute to Hutchins, describing the event as “a place that she loved so much, probably second only to being on set.”
Rust will be distributed in theaters by Falling Forward Films and hit VOD via Ascending Media Group. It’s set to release on May 2, with Hutchins honored in the film’s closing credits.
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