The tragic Alec Baldwin film Rust arrived in theaters this weekend to dismal ticket sales, nearly four years after a fatal on-set shooting claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The Western earned an estimated $25,000 in ticket sales between Friday and Sunday, Boxofficemojo.com reported. The drama was given a limited release in 115 theaters, and earned an average of just $217 per location.
In comparison, the Indian Telugu-language action thriller Hit: The Third Case opened domestically this weekend in 590 theaters and earned $869,667 for a per location average of $1,474, Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian reported.
In its defense, Rust was released simultaneously via video on-demand (VOD). But as TheWrap noted, the indie film has been “largely ignored.”
Related: ‘Rust’ Weapons Supervisor Sobs as She’s Sentenced to Prison for Fatal On-Set Shooting
Rust follows a recently orphaned boy (Patrick Scott McDermott) in 1880s Wyoming, who accidentally kills a rancher and is sentenced to hang. His estranged grandfather, notorious outlaw Harland Rust (Baldwin), breaks him out of jail and takes him on the run.
Critics weren’t impressed and gave the film a 42 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Only 26 reviewers bothered to watch Rust, and the consensus was the film is visually stunning, but otherwise there’s not much to see.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety criticized the Western’s “bare-bones plot.”
Giovanni Lago of Next Best Picture wrote, “Rust certainly will stand the test of time, but sadly for all the wrong reasons.”
Jocelyn Noveck of the Associated Press described the storyline as “basic.” Noveck noted that the film is extremely violent, making it difficult to watch, given what happened in real life. “It’s hard to forget about a shooting while watching so much shooting,” Noveck wrote.
Hutchins, the film’s director of photography, suffered a gunshot wound during a rehearsal at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when a bullet discharged from a prop gun held by Baldwin on Oct. 21, 2021. The bullet also struck director Joel Souza.
Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to an area hospital and pronounced deceased. She left behind a husband and young son. Souza was treated for his injuries and released.
Baldwin, now 67, maintained that he was told the gun was “cold,” meaning it had no live rounds inside. In addition to starring in the film, the actor served as a producer and co-wrote the script.
The actor and the film’s rookie weapons supervisor, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, were charged in connection with the shooting. Both pleaded not guilty in the case.
An involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin was eventually dropped.
Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March 2024. Attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed suggested others on set were to blame, instead of the young armorer, who was 24 at the time of the shooting.
Producers of the film reached a wrongful death settlement with Hutchins’ family. As part of the agreement, filming was completed, with a portion of the profits from the Western to be set aside for the Hutchins estate.
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