Rust Trailer: Alec Baldwin's Controversial Western Debuts First Look Despite Legal Turmoil; WATCH

Alec Baldwin's Western film Rust's first trailer is out after on-set disaster. Keep reading to learn more about the controversial movie.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 27, 2025 | 02:50 PM GMT | 12.3K

CC: Getty Images

Trigger Warning: Mention of death

Alec Baldwin's highly controversial and long-postponed Western film, Rust, finally gets its initial trailer.

The movie, which was surrounded in controversy after an on-set shooting left DP Halyna Hutchins dead, will now open in limited release on May 2. It will then be released on video-on-demand via the Ascending Media Group.

The trailer begins with a voice-over, saying, "The only order that exists in this world is the order we impose. If a man loses sight of that, he’s got nothing."

According to People, a rep from Rust Movie Productions LLC, Melina Spadone said in a statement, "Rust is a heartfelt and emotional story forged in the struggles of the new frontier — a story of the ripples that a single violent act can send through generations and the hard-fought redemption to be found in a world where the line between good and evil can often be unclear."

Rust is set in 1880s Wyoming, where Baldwin, 67, stars as Harland Rust, who emerges from retirement to rescue his 13-year-old nephew, Lucas, played by Patrick Scott McDermott, from a death sentence.

Convicted of murder and facing a hanging, Lucas joins Rust as a fugitive, with the two being hunted by hard-case bounty hunter Fenton "Preacher" Lang (Travis Fimmel). Josh Hopkins and Frances Fisher are also part of the cast.

The official description of the trailer reads, "A 13 year-old boy, left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880’s Wyoming, is taken on a harrowing journey to old Mexico by his long estranged grandfather after he’s sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher, with a US Marshall and a vicious Bounty Hunter in pursuit."

In spite of its on-screen drama, Baldwin's movie continues to be eclipsed by the actual tragedy that shut down filming in October 2021. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins lost her life when Baldwin wielded a prop gun and fired a live round.

The incident prompted Santa Fe authorities to conduct a massive investigation. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, which was withdrawn, re-filed, and ultimately dismissed.

Production resumed after a year of delays in April 2023, shifting to Montana from New Mexico. The movie quietly premiered in Poland that year at the Camerimage Film Festival.

Rust hits theatres on May 2. Falling Forward Films will distribute the film, while Ascending Media Group will provide digital streaming.