It’s hard to say if today is a day of excitement, sadness, or maybe a little bit of both, as the first official images fromRustare stepping out into the light of day. While Western fans will likely rejoice with the news, it also must be treated with somber respect, as the film’s set was the scene of a horrific and fatal accident that claimed the life of cinematographer,Halyna Hutchins. In the last more than three years, since the movie’s set turned into a crime scene, those following the case have seen court cases come and go, and the eye of authority focus in and off of leading star,Alec Baldwin. With filming finally a wrap, directorJoel Souzasays the title will be available for home viewing, with a limited theatrical release also on the horizon. But first, we have today’s first-look images, teasing the gritty drama that garnered publicity for all the wrong reasons.
The wild West is on full display in the first set of stills to come fromRust. From horses and their riders galloping off into the sunset to the dusty insides of wooden cabins, the images will make viewers feel like they’ve been transported into a different chapter of history. Baldwin’s Harland Rust wears a cowboy hat and tosses a saddle on his trusty steed in one shot, while several others focus the camera onPatrick Scott McDermott’s Lucas Hollister — the orphaned young man at the center of the story. Meanwhile, other characters played byTravis Fimmel(Vikings),Frances Fisher(Titanic) and more get full-on period drama makeovers, fitting them in with their historical surroundings.
Set in the final years of the 1800s, the grittyWesternflick centers around a young man named Lucas Hollister (McDermott), who has the gargantuan task of taking care of his younger brother after both of their parents have passed away. But, after the young boy accidentally kills someone, he’s viewed as a dangerous enemy of the state and is sentenced to death by hanging. Hearing the terrible news about his next of kin, an old outlaw named Harland Rust (Baldwin) is lured out of his quiet life of hiding to save his nephew from the gallows.
The Tragedy of ‘Rust’
It wasn’t very long into production that a loaded prop gun would go off, fatally striking cinematographer Hutchins. In the days following the accidental killing, the set became a media circus. As newdetails emerged from the scene of the crime, the story got heavier and heavier, with fingers pointing both at Baldwin (who shot the gun) and the movie’s armorer,Hannah Gutierrez Reed(who was in charge of the weapons). Last year, the latter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and is currently serving her sentence behind bars. While none of the charges stuck to Baldwin, he’s currently feeling the heat of the public once againthanks to his reality series,The Baldwins.
As of right now,Rusthasn’t set an official release date, but you can check out the images above.
