Producers of "The Rookie" have banned all live guns on set following the fatal accidental shooting that occurred Thursday while filming for "Rust" was taking place.
During the tragic incident, Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on a movie set, killing Halyna Hutchins, the photography director of "Rust," and injuring Joel Souza, the film's director. The following day, "The Rookie" writer, Alexi Hawley, sent out a memo to all staff informing them there would be "no more 'live' weapons on the show."
"The tragic events in New Mexico yesterday have shaken us all, and our hearts go out to the friends and family of Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza," the memo first obtained by The Hollywood Reporter read.
"As of today, it is now policy on "The Rookie" that all gunfire on set will be Air Soft guns with CG muzzle flashes added in post. There will be no more 'live' weapons on the show. The safety our cast and crew is too important. Any risk is too much risk."
In a statement to USA Today, Hawley said it was an easy decision to make "given the recent tragedy," adding, "I think every production should consider making it."
"Mare of Easttown" director Craig Zobel shared similar sentiments, which he expressed on Twitter Friday.
"There’s no reason to have guns loaded with blanks or anything on set anymore. Should just be fully outlawed. There’s computers now. The gunshots on Mare of Easttown are all digital. You can probably tell, but who cares? It’s an unnecessary risk," he tweeted.
"I concede live rounds have a role on set: I do think there are protocols to doing it safely, and I’ve had live rounds on sets for years," Zobel continued. "Always made me nervous, though. So this last project we didn’t. I think it took a level of anxiety away. We still used squibs, dust caps, etc."
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Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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