An Angus filmmaker has postponed the release of a documentary narrated by Alec Baldwin – after the actor shot a cinematographer dead with a prop gun on the set of his latest film.
Anthony Baxter, who heads Montrose Pictures, has confirmed that Flint: Who Can You Trust? will no longer arrive in the US and Canada later this month.
The documentary, exploring a water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and narrated by Baldwin, was broadcast by the BBC and remains available on iPlayer.
It had been due to arrive in cinemas in cities including Los Angeles, New York and Toronto on October 29 but those plans have been shelved.
We've postponed the US theatrical & digital release of @FlintTheMovie following recent tragic events out of respect. Enabling the #Flint residents' story to be heard remains hugely important to me and we will ensure the film's release at a later date: https://t.co/rZ98Y1PiLr
— Anthony Baxter | Filmmaker (@antbaxter) October 26, 2021
And a fundraising campaign that was launched before the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins, aiming to widen the release of Flint, has also been paused.
Mr Baxter, who recently opened the new community-owned Playhouse Cinema in Montrose, said: “Out of the deepest respect for all those affected by this terrible tragedy, we feel now is not the time to release Flint: Who Can You Trust?.
“The film sheds a crucial spotlight on the ongoing plight of Flint residents because of the water disaster.
“However, we will now be positioning the film for release in the US at a future date.”
Mr Baldwin, 63, said he was heartbroken by the death of cinematographer Ms Hutchins, 42, who was shot on the New Mexico set of Western film Rust on Thursday.
Production on the movie has been paused while police investigate the incident.
According to court documents, an assistant director handed Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the shooting.
Rust director Joel Souza was also injured in the incident, but is recovering after leaving hospital.
Following the incident, Mr Baldwin released a statement saying his “heart is broken” for the loved ones of Ms Hutchins.
He described the event as a “tragedy” and said he had been in communication with Hutchins’s husband.
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There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021
He wrote: “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours.
“I’m fully co-operating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family.
“My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
