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Alec Baldwin to resume filming Rust 18 months after shooting on set that killed Halyna Hutchins

The film set where Rust director of photography Halyna Hutchins was shot dead. (AP Photo: Santa Fe New Mexican/Luis Sanchez-Saturno)

Production of the western Rust will restart on Thursday, 18 months after actor Alec Baldwin fired a live round that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming in the US state of New Mexico.

Mr Baldwin will be back on set two weeks before the start of a court hearing in New Mexico to decide whether he should stand trial for a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter over Ms Hutchins's death in October 2021.

Filming will resume at Montana's Yellowstone Film Ranch set, according to Melina Spadone, a lawyer for Rust Movie Productions.

Mr Baldwin in October settled a lawsuit with the cinematographer's husband, Matt Hutchins, under which filming would restart with the same principal actors and the same director, Joel Souza, who was injured in the 2021 shooting.

Under the deal, Mr Hutchins became an executive producer on the movie.

Shooting on set

Mr Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Ms Hutchins during a rehearsal when the gun went off, killing Ms Hutchins and injuring Mr Souza.

Mr Baldwin has said the gun went off accidentally and he did not pull the trigger. An FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham this month signed a new $US360,000 ($536,000) allowance for prosecution of the case.

Evidentiary hearings are scheduled in early May to decide whether to proceed toward trial. Mr Baldwin has indicated that he will not attend those hearings.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies says her office is pursuing justice in the death of Ms Hutchins and wants to show that no-one is above the law when it comes to firearms and public safety.

She says the Ukrainian-born cinematographer's death was tragic and preventable.

Rust safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest in March to a conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and a suspended sentence of six months of probation.

Mr Souza, the director, has said he will return to the Rust production to honour the legacy of Ms Hutchins.

Parts of a documentary about Ms Hutchins's life will be filmed simultaneously with Rust.

ABC/wires

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