Rust is currently in a suspended state following the 2021 death of Halyna Hutchins after the cinematographer was shot on set.
But, despite its infamy, producer Anjul Nigam is saying he believes they will complete the film soon.
“Rust is a horrific tragedy. The investigation will hopefully be resolved soon and will unveil what happened. There will be people out there who will have negative perspectives, but we’re confident about continuing to make quality movies. We’re confident we’ll be able to complete the movie.”
Nigam states his position on the western project in an article published by The Hollywood Reporter today. The bulk of the piece focuses on his and Rust star Alec Baldwin’s efforts at Cannes and a new production banner the pair are launching. While Baldwin and Nigam do envision creating more content, they are not free and clear of legal confrontations from Hutchins’ accidental death as of filing this story.
In February, Hutchins’ family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against them and other producers and members of the Rust crew, and in April, a New Mexico safety agency fined the producers more than $100,000 for safety violations. This is presently being challenged by the team behind the film, too.
Hutchins’ death has sparked a movement for greater safety on sets, and creatives like The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke have said they will never use functional firearms again.