Following a fatal accident on set of Rust that took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins last week, petitioners calling for real guns to be banned on all Hollywood film productions are gathering support. At the time of writing, the change.org petition – as launched by filmmaker Bandar Albuliwi, has gathered 25,137 online signatures after going live on Friday.
In the petition’s description, Albuliwi argues that Hutchins’ death was “an avoidable tragedy” that should never be repeated, citing the similar death of The Crow‘s Brandon Lee as another reason why real guns need to be removed from film sets once and for all.
“We need to make sure that this avoidable tragedy never happens again,” it reads. “There is no excuse for something like this to happen in the 21st century. Real guns are no longer needed on film production sets. This isn’t the early ’90s, when Brandon Lee was killed in the same manner. Change needs to happen before additional talented lives are lost.”
Albuliwi continued by saying the petition calls for Alec Baldwin to use his heft in the industry to make real change happen. As well as banning real firearms, the petition also demands better working conditions on both independent and studio productions.
“Please sign this petition and demand for Alec Baldwin to use his power and influence in the Hollywood film industry to make change and ban real guns on film sets.”
The petition has been shared by various prominent figures in the industry, including actress and director Olivia Wilde on Twitter, whose tweet calling for the creation of “Halyna’s Law” went viral.
On the set of Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico last Thursday, Baldwin was handed a prop gun by an assistant director that both men believed to be safe. The actor discharged the weapon, resulting in the death of Hutchins. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind Hutchins, was also injured. After an investigation by the authorities, Baldwin is not facing any charges. On social media, he said, “There are no words” to describe his grief over the incident.
Hutchins’ family have also stated that they do not hold the star responsible. Instead, they have blasted the “negligence” of the props team. It’s also come out that various crew members walked off set just hours before the incident to protest unsafe working conditions, long hours, and low pay. Production on Rust has been suspended indefinitely.
Published: Oct 25, 2021 01:00 pm