Alec Baldwin was faced with charges stemming from the on-set death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed after a prop gun misfired. Though the manslaughter charges against Baldwin were dropped, his role in the tragedy remains heavily debated. All the while, there's been a discussion in the entertainment industry surrounding gun safety on sets and whether real weapons should be used for productions at all. Guy Ritchie, the filmmaker known for Sherlock Holmes, Snatch and Aladdin, is now speaking out against that practice and revealed that he has since banned them on his own productions.
The director spoke to Newsweek, with whom he discussed teaming up with Jake Gyllenhaal on his latest film, The Covenant. During the conversation, he went on to say that Hollywood's attitudes about the presence of real guns on sets has changed following the fatal Rust-related incident. While discussing his decision to move away from the use of real firearms on his own productions, he explained how this practice went over during production on his military drama:
That whole thing has changed now, the whole game has changed. We haven't used a real weapon since then. So there were no real weapons. It's the first shoot that we had, which I have to tell you, it's a tremendous relief for all of us. They're as good as, they look as good as real weapons, they do all the functions as a real weapon. You get a gas discharge. It all seems as authentic as it can be, but as Jake [Gyllenhaal] said, it's Airsoft though. No one can get into any trouble.
It was in October 2021 that Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the set of Rust when the prop gun was discharged by Alec Baldwin. Said weapon was not supposed to contain a live round and was expected to be loaded with blanks as is routine on movie sets. Baldwin would later speak out and has since maintained that he did not pull the trigger. Though the charges against him have since been dropped, Baldwin has still not been relieved of “criminal culpability,” and charges could be filed down the road.
Guy Ritchie isn't the only filmmaker that has ended the use of guns on sets. Dwayne Johnson’s production company Seven Bucks also pledged to stop utilizing real arsenal. In addition, George Clooney spoke out about his own experience with gun safety on sets and how accidents with real consequences can occur when measures aren’t being taken seriously.
The Wrath of Man helmer's pledge to ban firearms on his sets is particularly notable, as he's known for crafting highly stylized action sequences that often rely on the use of heavy weaponry. The Covenant is no exception, as it follows a local interpreter navigating active battle during the war in Afghanistan. The Airsoft guns used in the film, however, are seemingly indistinguishable from real firearms and arguably look just as realistic as those in his previous films. We'll see if his decision helps to light a spark of change within the industry.
The Covenant is now playing in theaters nationwide. Fans of the filmmaker should also read up on the best Guy Ritchie movies and where to watch them. And for more information on other features that are set to hit cinemas and streaming this year, make sure to consult our schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
