‘The Trial of Alec Baldwin’ Trailer: Rory Kennedy Takes a Verité Look at ‘Rust’ Shooting and Subsequent Legal Battle

A trailer dropped Thursday for a new documentary centered on the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Alec Baldwin-led Western Rust — the accidental shooting, the media firestorm that followed and Baldwin’s years-long legal battle that at one point threatened to send him to prison.

The Trial of Alec Baldwin follows the mercurial yet beloved actor as his life is upended by the October 2021 on-set shooting. Oscar-nominated director Rory Kennedy, daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, gained close, exclusive access to Baldwin to produce a verité-style documentary that tracks his story while raising broader questions about how the public assigns blame, processes tragedy and judges public figures in real time.

“On October 21, 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on a movie set by a prop gun held by the actor Alec Baldwin. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, virtually no one doubts that it was an accident and a deeply traumatizing experience for everyone involved,” the documentary’s logline states. “After the shock subsides, questions of responsibility, guilt, blame, punishment and justice begin circulating in the media, fueled largely by Baldwin’s fame, as well as his reputation.”

The film’s intimate portrait paints Baldwin as “talented and adored, yet also flawed, politically outspoken and prone to explosions of anger.” Kennedy began filming with Baldwin while he still faced criminal charges and continued shooting through his July 2024 trial in Santa Fe, which ended with the judge tossing the case out with prejudice over withheld evidence.

“We felt this was an important story for our times, a vital story about the state of our judicial system,” Kennedy said when Abramorama’s acquisition of the film was announced. “Alec is an enduring and undeniably significant figure in Hollywood, and the trial surrounding Rust raised questions well beyond the events that transpired on set. Alongside Abramorama, we are eager to bring this documentary to theater audiences so that the broader public can grapple with the complex questions at the heart of the film.”

The Trial of Alec Baldwin opens in theaters beginning Oct. 1.