Alec Baldwin has offered a glimpse into his emotional state following the fatal "Rust" shooting in a trailer for a new documentary titled "The Trial of Alec Baldwin." The film, set for release in theaters on October 1, captures the actor's legal struggles and his fervent hope for an acquittal so he can move past the incident.
"I want to be acquitted so I can walk out the door and everybody just leave me alone," Baldwin is heard saying in the trailer. "I never dreamed of my life that this would come down to this."
In October 2021, while filming the Western movie "Rust" in New Mexico, a prop revolver Baldwin was holding discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin has consistently denied pulling the trigger, stating he was assured the firearm contained no live ammunition.
A charge of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin was dismissed by a New Mexico judge in 2024 due to prosecutorial misconduct. The documentary follows Baldwin from 2023 onwards as his legal drama unfolded.
The film is directed by Rory Kennedy, whose sister, Kerry Kennedy, is married to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., currently serving as Donald Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services. Several members of the Kennedy family publicly denounced Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his third-party presidential campaign in the 2024 election.
"When they told me she died, I was in shock. I was in disbelief," Baldwin reflects in the documentary trailer. He also shared, "If you said to me: 'Hike up Mt Everest and she'll come back,' I'd be packed and ready to do. Whatever I could do. But there's nothing you can do."
Baldwin, who has also portrayed Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live," acknowledged the documentary's candid nature, stating, "People who watch this will see so much of me at my worst."
His wife, Hilaria Baldwin, also appears in the trailer, expressing concern about the media attention. "The paparazzi are already coming," she warns, advising her husband, "You need to take the kids out of town."
Hilaria Baldwin previously drew attention days after the shooting when she interrupted an impromptu roadside press conference given by her husband, scolding a reporter and admonishing the media to provide "no details."
The manslaughter case against Baldwin was dismissed in July 2024 after a judge found that errors in the handling of certain evidence, specifically bullets, had impacted the fundamental fairness of the case. Prosecutors had argued that the bullets were excluded because they came from an unreliable source and did not match evidence found at the scene.
Upon the dismissal of the charges, Baldwin was seen in tears embracing his wife in the courtroom. The armorer for "Rust," Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months, the maximum penalty, but was released early for good behavior.
In January 2025, Baldwin filed a lawsuit against members of the Santa Fe District Attorney's office for malicious prosecution, but the case was dismissed in July of that year after he failed to file required documents. Halyna Hutchins' widower, Matthew Hutchins, received a producer credit on "Rust" as part of a wrongful death settlement and expressed disappointment with the dismissal of the charges against Baldwin, stating he hoped for future legal proceedings.
"Rust" premiered at a film festival in Poland in September 2024 and later opened in the United States in May 2025 to mixed reviews. Director Rory Kennedy commented on the case's complexity, acknowledging empathy for Hutchins and her family while suggesting that a situation can have multiple victims.