“Rust” director Joel Souza said this week he did not watch the film’s star Alec Baldwin in his TLC reality series.
Souza told The Guardian he hadn’t seen “The Baldwins,” which follows the exploits of Alec, wife Hilaria and their seven children in New York City.
“I think I was busy hitting myself in the face with a frying pan that night,” Souza said about missing the show’s Feb. 23 premiere.
The series also touches on the aftermath of Baldwin fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring Souza in an on-set accident in Oct. 2021 while during rehearsals for the western in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The gun should have been loaded with blanks, but a live round was inadvertently chambered.
Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter but the charge was ultimately dismissed last summer in the middle of trial when the prosecution was accused of improperly withholding evidence. Baldwin and the producers did pay a settlement to Hutchins’ family.
The film’s on-set armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last year and was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison.
The film was ultimately completed — at the behest of Hutchins’ family, who wanted to see her work released and will receive a portion of the film’s earnings — with cinematographer Bianca Cline and is set to be released May 2. A limited theatrical release is planned alongside same-day digital purchase and rental options.
“You think about the chain of events that started that morning. Bad decision after bad decision was made,” Souza told The Guardian. Talk about the butterfly effect. I wish I never wrote the damn movie.”
