Actor Alec Baldwin is still making headlines over the fatal “Rust” shooting, which took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. A new documentary feature by Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Rory Kennedy will hit theaters in October 2026, five years after the fatal shooting.
Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Rory Kennedy created a documentary based on years of footage following the accidental shooting of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. The feature has been acquired by Abramorama for a North American release and awards campaign, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
The documentary will include behind-the-scenes footage from “Rust,” along with footage of the police interrogation and the legal trial that followed. “The Trial of Alec Baldwin” will open in New York on October 1 at Village East by Angelika. It will then premiere in Los Angeles on October 15 at the Laemmle Monica before heading to Laemmle Noho 7 before its theatrical release.
The Documentary Does Not ‘Shy Away From Complexity Or Discomfort’
Karol Martesko-Fenster, CEO of AB2 Media Group and Abramorama, told THR that the documentary “doesn’t shy away from complexity or discomfort,” adding, “Rory and her [life and producing] partner Mark Bailey have crafted a film that goes beyond the headlines to ask hard questions about how we assign blame, process tragedy, and judge public figures in real time. We’re honored to partner with them in bringing this story to theaters.”
Kennedy and Bailey went on to say, “We felt this was an important story for our times, a vital story about the state of our judicial system. Alec is an enduring and undeniably significant figure in Hollywood, and the trial surrounding Rust raised questions well beyond what transpired on set. Alongside Abramorama, we are eager to bring this documentary to theater audiences so that the broader public can grapple with the complex questions at the heart of the film.”
‘Rust’ Director Joel Souza Regrets Finishing The Movie
![Police in the US have released video footage from the set of the film Rust, including of the aftermath of the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin. Halyna Hutchins, 42, was shot by Mr Baldwin while he rehearsed with what he believed to be a safe gun. Footage, which has no audio, released shows Baldwin dressed as a cowboy rehearsing with a gun ahead of the deadly shooting. He can be seen in stills from that video posing with the gun, and with ammo / ammunition on his costume in a scene set in a church. A clapper board with Ms Hutchins' name on it can also be seen. It's not known if the gun he is holding is the one that fired the deadly bullets. The actor, who was also a producer on the film, previously said he did not pull the trigger and had no idea how a live bullet came to be on the set near Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico. The Santa Fe County sheriff’s office released a trove of documents released to the investigation this week. 26 Apr 2022 Pictured: Alec Baldwin seen in stills from video footage of Rust rehearsals released by investigators in the US. Photo credit: Santa Fe County Sheriff/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA851467_005.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://media.theblast.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=75%2Cgravity=auto%2Csharpen=1%2Cmetadata=none%2Cformat=auto%2Conerror=redirect/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Alec_Baldwin_Rust_Charges_2-1536x860.jpg)
In May 2025, Joel Souza spoke to The Guardian about the film. Although they finished production and released the film, Souza said he returned to the project only because Halyna Hutchins’ family wanted it completed.
“I’d been repelled by the thought of going back, but [then] it started to appeal. And I couldn’t live with the idea of someone else doing it,” he said at the time, although he did say that he wished he had never written the film.
“Talk about the butterfly effect — I wish I never wrote the d-mn movie,” he said. “You think about the chain of events that started that morning [of the shooting]. Bad decision after bad decision was made.”
When asked about his relationship with Baldwin, the director said that they were not “enemies,” but there is “no relationship” following the shooting. He was also not a fan of Baldwin’s reality show, “The Baldwins,” and had some pretty harsh words for the actor.
“I think I was busy hitting myself in the face with a frying pan that night [it aired],” Souza said.
Alec Baldwin Is Thinking About Retirement
In April 2026, the “30 Rock” alum said he was thinking about retiring after the shooting. At the time, he appeared as a guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, which was recorded in front of an audience at the Boulder International Film Festival.
“We had this incident, this tragedy, in New Mexico, where Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of the film, and that was unspeakably difficult to deal with … Because of the situation in New Mexico, which was very painful, I wound up staying home a lot,” Baldwin said at the time.
“I was home with my kids for three-and-a-half years — I hardly worked at all — and that’s just changing now. I’m going to go off and do a bunch of things,” he continued. “But I was home, and I got used to it, and I don’t want to leave my house anymore. I don’t. I don’t want to work anymore. I don’t. I really don’t. I want to retire and stay home with my kids.”
He later said that he felt that he was being “edged out” of Hollywood, saying, “The offers just aren’t there.”
