Derailed Western movie Rust is finally back in motion with some major changes to its personnel. Following the tragic shooting of the film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, back in October 2021, a new armorer has been chosen. The new armorer for Rust is a veteran in the industry. With over 60 major film credits, including The Terminator, Manchurian Candidate, and Mortal Kombat, Andrew Wert will be replacing the rookie armorer. Wert, 54, is the new replacement for rookie prop specialist Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26.
Furthermore, Gutierrez-Reed, is the only member from the crew that's still facing criminal charges over the shooting. While the film's star Alec Baldwin was unexpectedly cleared on Thursday, the rookie is facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Not only that, she's also faced with mishandling firearms, according to court documents. Authorities say Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for loading a live bullet into the Colt .45 that killed the mother-of-one Hutchins. She now faces a preliminary hearing in Santa Fe starting August 9th.
"Rust" Rookie Armorer Still Faces Charges
Reportedly, police say they found texts from the former Rust armorer that showed she wanted to use live ammunition in a previous film. Secondly, they also found a mix of live and dummy rounds on the Rust set-massive safety violation. Alec Baldwin, 65, is currently staying in Livingston, Montana. He has resumed his role as Western outlaw Harlan Rust and was pictured on set Friday. It's the first time he's been seen in costume since the killing of Hutchins.
Contrary to Gutierrez-Reed, who only has one other credit to her name, veteran Wert has worked on a slew of blockbuster films. Not only that, he's also a member of the IATSE (International Allegiance of Theatrical Stage Employees) union. Along with Rust, Wert has quite the range of movies under his belt. Titles such as Transporter 2, SEAL Team (tv series), and the Spongebob Squarepants Movie. In a statement ahead of the film's relaunch, director Joel Souza, who was also injured in the shooting that took Hutchins' life, had warm words for his late colleague. He praised the new production team that was committed to finishing what he and Hutchins started. Are you watching Rust when it comes out?
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