Dwayne Johnson vows to stop using real guns in film projects after ‘Rust’ tragedy

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Dwayne Johnson attends the world premiere of Netflix’s Red Notice on Wednesday in Los Angeles. Johnson says his production company will no longer use real guns on set.

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Movies
Alec Baldwin mourns cinematographer in first public comments about ‘Rust’ shooting

He said he plans to implement his «no real guns» rule with any studio he partners with.

Johnson’s pledge comes after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot last month on the Rust film set in Santa Fe, N.M. While practicing a scene, actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun that he was told did not contain live rounds, according to affidavits shared by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. Hutchins was rushed to a nearby hospital via helicopter, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Mental Health
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Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind Hutchins at the time, was shot in the shoulder but survived. The shooting remains under investigation.

In a statement shared via Twitter, Baldwin called Hutchins’ death a «tragic accident» that left him heartbroken. Speaking to Variety, Johnson echoed that sentiment.

«First of all, I was heartbroken,» Johnson said. «We lost a life. My heart goes out to her family and everybody on set. I’ve known Alec, too, for a very long time.»

National
The fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins is prompting calls to ban real guns from sets

Johnson’s interview comes ahead of the release of his latest project, Netflix’s Red Notice, an action film slated to hit the streaming service later this month. While Johnson did have to handle real guns during the shooting of that film, it was within hours after hearing the news about Hutchins that he began planning how to make his own projects safer, he told Variety.

He’s not alone. Eric Kripke, showrunner of Amazon’s The Boys, tweeted a similar proclamation last month and asked others in the industry to join him in that commitment.