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Rust will resume shooting this spring, and Alec Baldwin will return, according to a report by the Hollywood Reporter. The resumption of production comes as Baldwin is facing criminal charges in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
She was shot and killed during a rehearsal in which Baldwin drew a revolver from his jacket inside of a church. As Baldwin drew the gun, it discharged, and a bullet struck Hutchins and director Joel Souza.
Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were each charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Bianca Cline will take over for Hutchin as the film's cinematographer. She will donate her salary to charity in honor of Hutchins. Souza will continue to direct the movie. Other original crew members, including stunt coordinator Allan Graf, costume designer Terese Davis, makeup department head Stacy Lockhart and hair department head Anna Williams will also return.
The producers said that additional safety officers have been hired and that there will be no ammunition or functioning firearms allowed on set. In addition, the scene being rehearsed when Hutchins was fatally shot is being rewritten.
Hutchins' husband, Matthew, will serve as an executive producer on the film along with a documentary about her life. The documentary will be helmed by director Rachel Mason and producer Julee Metz and will begin production at the same time as Rust.
"Both Mason and Metz were close friends with Halyna, and they look forward to working with the production to honor their friend and show the brilliance and depth of Halyna's talent while conveying what her loss has meant to her friends, colleagues, and the entire film industry," said Rust Movie Productions in a statement.