Washington [US], March 27: The highly anticipated Western film Rust has finally released its first trailer, featuring Alec Baldwin as Harland Rust, an aging outlaw struggling against time. Set in 1880s Kansas, the plot centers on Rust’s mission to rescue his nephew, Lucas Hollister (played by Patrick Scott McDermott), who faces execution for an accidental killing.
In the film, Harland Rust emerges from hiding to evade a dangerous bounty hunter, Fenton ‘Preacher’ Lang (Travis Fimmel), as they both become fugitives. The trailer opens with a voiceover stating, “The only order that exists in this world is the order we impose. If a man loses sight of that, he’s got nothin’,” setting the tone for a gritty narrative filled with themes of survival and redemption.
However, Rust remains tied to tragedy. In October 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot, and director Joel Souza was injured when a live round was discharged from Baldwin’s firearm. The incident led to a prolonged investigation by Santa Fe authorities, resulting in Baldwin being charged with manslaughter but later acquitted. The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of manslaughter and is currently serving time in prison. Production was paused for over a year following the incident before filming resumed in April 2023 in Montana.
Despite its troubled history, Rust had a quiet world premiere at the Camerimage Film Festival in Poland in late 2024. The film, produced by Falling Forward Films, is set to release in select theaters on May 2 and will also be available on VOD through Ascending Media Group.