Less than a month after his criminal charges were dropped in relation to the tragic Rust shooting, Alec Baldwin has landed a new role in a movie based on a devastating instance of gun violence.
Just days ago, the 65-year-old actor wrapped production on the catastrophic Western movie Rust, which sadly saw cinematographer Halyna Hutchins fatally shot with a prop gun Baldwin had been using.
The Hollywood star had officially been charged with involuntary manslaughter in January following the tragic October 2021 death of 42-year-old Hutchins in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which was later dropped.
Hutchins was fatally shot on the set of the movie Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The movie's director, Joel Souza, was also injured in the shooting, which had occurred while Baldwin was rehearsing a scene using a prop gun when it misfired.
Assistant director Dave Halls had reportedly signed a plea agreement for the charge of the negligent use of a deadly weapon, per Sky News. Ever since the tragedy, Baldwin has maintained his innocence, accusing the movie's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed - who was also charged with involuntary manslaughter - of not ensuring the weapon was safe. Gutierrez-Reed is still facing the charges against her, per the Daily Mail.
Now it has been reported that Baldwin has been cast in an upcoming movie about the devastating Kent State shootings in 1970, which left four unarmed students dead and nine others injured.
Directed by Karen Slade, the story is set against the backdrop of the US's involvement in the Vietnam War, and follows events that occurred on May 4, 1970, when the Ohio National Guard opened fire during a peaceful war protest of the National Guard presence on campus.
Deadline detailed that the movie will focus on the shocking events that transpired that day, and will zone in on why massacres such as this continue to happen.
"The Kent State shooting was a dark and pivotal moment in our nation's history. This is a story that needs to be told and surprisingly never has," Tom Ortenberg, the movie's producer, told Deadline. "We are looking forward to bringing it to the big screen to educate and inspire both the young and old alike."
As well as Baldwin - is set to portray Robert White, the then-President of the university, per The Hollywood Reporter - the film will also star Christopher Backus, Clancy Brown, Jacqueline Emerson, and, Dermot Mulroney.
