It was a tale that sent shockwaves through Hollywood: a catastrophic scene on an indie film claimed the life of a promising cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, with a celebrated actor wielding the prop gun that unleashed the fatal shot. Now, a poignant documentary revisiting Hutchins' tragic demise on the set of "Rust" in 2021 aims to illuminate her life and the profound human cost borne by those who knew her. Entitled "Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna," the film promises heart-wrenching conversations with director Joel Souza, camera assistant Lane Luper, costume designer Terese Davis, and the film's new cinematographer Bianca Cline, all reflecting on the fateful day and its aftermath, as revealed in the film's premiere trailer on Monday.
The trailer interweaves police bodycam footage from the investigation, news coverage, and seemingly behind-the-scenes video from "Rust," painting a vivid picture of the events. "What people craved from this was mere entertainment," Souza laments in the trailer, his voice echoing in a haunting voiceover. "It became a grotesque spectacle, and they erased her from it."
Rachel Mason, a close friend of Hutchins and the filmmaker behind documentaries such as "Circus of Books" and "An Update on Our Family," directs and also stars in the trailer. In the wake of the tragedy, "Rust" was eventually completed and premiered at the 2024 Camerimage festival. As stipulated in a settlement between Hutchins' widower, Matthew, and the "Rust" producers, the proceeds from the film's sale are destined for Matthew and their son.
"Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna" is set to debut on Hulu on March 11. The film is produced by Julee Metz, Kate Barry, Jon Bardin, and Will Cohen for Story Syndicate, alongside Jessica Grimshaw, Nick Shumaker, and Jennifer Sears for Anonymous Content. Executive producers include Hutchins' husband, Matthew, Dan Cogan and Liz Garbus of Story Syndicate, Tommy Coriale, Lizzie Fox and Casey Meurer of Concordia Studio, and David Levine of Anonymous Content.
