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Rust Producers to Pay $100,000 Safety Fine after Shooting

The film set of "Rust", is seen from a distance, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, US, October 23, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt//File Photo
The film set of "Rust", is seen from a distance, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, US, October 23, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt//File Photo
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Rust Producers to Pay $100,000 Safety Fine after Shooting

The film set of "Rust", is seen from a distance, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, US, October 23, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt//File Photo
The film set of "Rust", is seen from a distance, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, US, October 23, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt//File Photo

Producers of the Western movie "Rust" on Friday said they had agreed to pay a $100,000 civil fine for "serious" workplace safety breaches prior to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico film set in 2021.

New Mexico's worker safety bureau last year levied its maximum possible fine against Rust Movie Productions (RMP) for what it called the firm's "plain indifference" to hazards from weapons mishandling and accidental firearms discharges on set.

Hutchins was killed when actor Alec Baldwin fired a live round from a gun he was using during a rehearsal. Director Joel Souza was injured.

"RMP violated workplace safety laws by exposing employees to being struck by discharged rounds or projectiles when firearms were used on the set," the state's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB) said in a statement.

Under the settlement, RMP's fine marked the largest workplace safety penalty in over a decade in New Mexico but was reduced from an original citation of $136,793, according to the OHSB.

"Our top priority has always been resuming production and completing this film so we can honor the life and work of Halyna Hutchins," Melina Spadone, a lawyer for RMP said in a statement. "Settling this case rather than litigating is how we can best move forward."

Rust's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has criticized the film's producers for failing to provide enough time for firearms training. She told the OHSB on Dec. 7 Baldwin's lack of knowledge and "poor form" using a revolver may have led to the accidental discharge that killed Hutchins.

Rust Line Producer Gabrielle Pickle told the agency on Dec. 20 Gutierrez-Reed's requests for extra armorer days were granted.

Gutierrez-Reed, who mistakenly loaded a live round into the gun Baldwin fired, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. At her first court appearance on Friday her lawyer said she would plead not guilty. Baldwin on Thursday pleaded not guilty to the same charge.

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‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ Make Gravity-Defying Theater Debuts

People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)
People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ Make Gravity-Defying Theater Debuts

People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)
People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)

With a combined $270 million in worldwide ticket sales, “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” breathed fresh life into a box office that has struggled lately, leading to one of the busiest moviegoing weekends of the year.

Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally for Universal Pictures, according to studio estimates Sunday. That made it the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, behind only “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2.” It’s also a record for a Broadway musical adaptation.

Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original, launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. With a price tag of around $250 million to produce it, “Gladiator II” was a big bet by Paramount Pictures to return to the Coliseum with a largely new cast, led by Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal. While it opened with a touch less than the $60 million predicted in domestic ticket sales, “Gladiator II” has performed well overseas. It added $50.5 million internationally.

Going into the weekend, box office was down about 11% from last year and some 25% from pre-pandemic times. That meant this week's two headline films led a much-needed resurgence for theaters. With “Moana 2” releasing Wednesday, Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.

“This weekend’s two strong openers are invigorating a box office that fell apart after a good summer,” said David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment.

The collision of the two movies led to some echoes of the “Barbenheimer” effect of last year, when “Barbie" and “Oppenheimer” launched simultaneously. The nickname this time, “Glicked,” wasn’t quite as catchy and the cultural imprint was also notably less. Few people sought out a double feature this time. The domestic grosses in 2023 – $162 million for “Barbie” and $82 million for “Oppenheimer” – were also higher.

But the counter-programming effect was still potent for “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” which likewise split broadly along gender lines. And it was again the female-leaning release – “Wicked,” like “Barbie” before it – that easily won the weekend. About 72% of ticket buyers for “Wicked” were female, while 61% of those seeing “Gladiator II” were male.

And while “Barbenheimer” benefitted enormously from meme-spread word-of-mouth, both “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” leaned on all-out marketing blitzes.

Both movies pulled out all the stops in global advertising campaigns that spanned everything from “Wicked” Mattel dolls (some of which led to an awkward recall) to an Airbnb cross-promotion with the actual Colosseum in Rome. For “Gladiator II,” Paramount even took the unusual step of simultaneously running a one-minute trailer on more than 4,000 TV networks, radio station and digital platforms.

Though “Wicked” will face some direct competition from “Moana 2,” it would seem to be better set up for a long and lucrative run in theaters. Even at 2 hours and 40 minutes, the film has had mostly stellar reviews. Audiences gave it an “A” on CinemaScore. The reception for “Wicked” has been strong enough that Oscar prognosticators expect it to be a contender for best picture at the Academy Awards, among other categories.

Producers, perhaps sensing a hit, also took the step of splitting “Wicked” in two. Part two, already filmed, is due out next November. Each “Wicked” installation cost around $150 million to make.

“Gladiator II” has also enjoyed good reviews, particularly for Washington's charismatic performance. Audience scores, though, were weaker, with ticket buyers giving it a “B” on CinemaScore. “Gladiator II” will make up for some of that, however, with robust international sales. It launched in many overseas markets a week ago, earning $87 million before landing in North America.