Rust movie producers deny safety failures

The producers of Alec Baldwin film Rust have disputed an official report, denying safety failures before an on-set shooting tragedy

The film’s cinematographer was killed and its director injured after actor Alex Baldwin fired a loaded prop gun.

Just last month, the New Mexico Environment Department slapped the film with its maximum fine on Rust Movie Productions for “serious and wilful” failures.

But the company says it “enforced all applicable safety protocols” and they didn’t ‘wilfully’ violate any safety protocol”.

Rust says it held safety meetings and there was such a meeting on the morning of the shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins.

Baldwin, a main film producer as well as its star, says he believed the gun did not contain live rounds and he did not pull the trigger, but that it fired when he cocked it during rehearsals.

The production company is also arguing that it was not responsible for supervising the film set.

Also adding that previous discharges of blank rounds on set had been “properly addressed”, including with safety briefings for cast and crew, and did not violate firearm safety protocols.