Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' Returns To Cannes Market With New Sales Company

Actor Alec Baldwin is going to see his "Rust" film featured on the Cannes market after all.

Production on the Western film was postponed in October 2021 following the death of Halyna Hutchins and the hospitalization of director Joel Souza. However, production resumed late last month as the crew moved production from New Mexico to Montana and is supposed to wrap up production later this month.

On Sunday, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Goodfellas — formerly Wild Bunch International — would be selling the project. They are taking over from the Highland Film Group, which had originally launched it in the virtual Marché in 2000.

The Western film features Baldwin playing the role of Harland Rust: an infamous outlaw and grandfather who comes out of hiding to prevent his 13-year-old grandson from being hanged for murder. The story is a collaboration between both Souza and Baldwin. The two had previously collaborated together on the 2019 action thriller "Crown Vic."

Unfortunately, it seems that everyone has heard of "Rust" for all the wrong reasons after a revolver Baldwin was holding killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on October 21, 2021, in the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

Although Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were both charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, the charges against Baldwin have been dropped without prejudice as the investigation into Hutchins' death continues. The two counts of involuntary manslaughter against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have not been dropped, although her trial has been postponed to August.

In February 2022, Halyna Hutchins' husband Matthew Hutchins filed a wrongful death settlement against the actor and other "Rust" producers. That lawsuit was settled last October. As part of the settlement, Matthew was made an executive producer of the film.

In a statement at the time, Matthew Hutchins said, “We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed.”

“I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” Hutchins added. “All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”

Matthew gave his “blessing and support” to the new cinematographer, Bianca Cline, who has worked on the critically acclaimed “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.” According to Rust Movie Productions, Cline will donate her salary to charity.

Although Matthew Hutchins settled his lawsuit, Halyna’s parents and sister filed their own lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and other "Rust" producers seeking unspecified damages for negligence, among other things.

Hutchins’ mother Olga Solovey, her father Anatolii Androsovych, and sister Svetlana Zemko are being represented by attorney Gloria Allred, who also represents the "Rust" script supervisor Mamie Mitchell in her own lawsuit filed a month after Halyna’s death.

“Mr. Baldwin may pretend that he is not responsible for pulling the trigger and ejecting a live bullet which ended Halyna’s life,” Allred said in a statement. “He can run to Montana and pretend that he is just an actor in a wild west movie but, in real life, he cannot escape from the fact that he had a major role in a tragedy which had real-life consequences.”

Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis released a statement shortly after they announced they were dropping charges against the "30 Rock" actor... for now.

“Over the last few days and in preparation for the May 3, 2023, preliminary hearing, new facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis in the case against Alexander ‘Alec’ Rae Baldwin, III,” they began.

“Consequently, we cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form,” they continued. “We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin to conduct further investigation.”

“This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled,” they warned. “Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going.”

At this time, Alec Baldwin is facing no criminal charges as he continues to focus on wrapping filming on "Rust."