‘Rust’ pays tribute to the late Halyna Hutchins after her tragic passing due to an accident on set

The cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was a talented woman who tragically passed away after a live round of prop bullets misfired on set while shooting. The incident occurred while they were shooting for the film, and Alec Baldwin accidentally fired off the prop, which hit the cinematographer and resulted in her untimely demise.
The film starring Alec Baldwin and Patrick Scott McDermott was finally released for the public 4 years after the tragic death of Hutchins. The film paid tribute to the talented cinematographer. The film ended with the phrase “For Halyna – what can we do to make this better?"
The phrase is something that Hutchins used to extensively ask on set, as shared by the director of the film, Joel Souza. Josh Hopkins, one of the stars from the project, shared that "When we came back, I think that was something we all said to ourselves over and over again,” as shared by EW. He continued, sharing that "Because we had a responsibility now and had to bring the energy and passion that she did every day. She was such a vivacious, visionary artist... She was the heart of everything."
Hopkins also shared that after Hutchin’s tragic death, the film production stopped. It was, however, picked up again in 2023, when cinematographer Bianca Cline stepped in to finish what was started all the way in 2021. He shared that "I hope people understand that this was the family's wishes. They wanted the world to see Halyna's art." More than half of the film was done by Hutchins, making it her last project before her death.
The plot of the film revolves around a 13-year-old Lucas Hollister who loses his parents and then is left to fend for himself as well as his younger brother in 1880s Wyoming. There is a point when Lucas ends up shooting and killing a rancher by accident, for which he is sentenced to be hanged. Rather than being killed, the boy is then rescued by his grandfather, outlaw Harland Rust, whom he then flees jail to Mexico.