Bond girl Eva Green refers to shooting on Alec Baldwin film Rust in High Court battle with producer
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French film actress Eva Green has addressed the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of Alec Baldwin’s film Rust, while giving evidence in the High Court today in a multi-million dollar legal battle.
The 42-year-old Casino Royale star was supposed to play the lead in A Patriot, but production collapsed in October 2019.
She is suing production company White Lantern Film, claiming she is entitled to her million-dollar (£810,000) fee for the abandoned project despite its cancellation. In turn, White Lantern files a counterclaim against the French actress, alleging that she undermined the production of the independent film.
During her testimony, Ms Green referred to the on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died when a prop gun in the possession of Alec Baldwin was discharged in October 2021 during the filming of the western film Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Eva Green arrives at the Rolls Building, London, for her legal action in the High Court over payment for a closed film project.
Giving evidence, Ms Green referred to a fatal shooting on the set of the Alec Baldwin film Rust (right), in which cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (left) lost her life.
Actress Eva Green filming near Tower Bridge for A Patriot, a film she was set to star in before production closed in October 2019
Ms Green told the court in London that Mr Seal had reduced his stunt training for the film, where he would play a soldier, from four weeks to five days.
“You can’t make a quality film by cutting corners,” said Ms Green.
She continued: “Look what happened to Alec Baldwin in the movie Rust, the producers were cutting corners, no security measures and a young woman was murdered.”
In her written testimony in court, Ms Green said that no personal or stunt training was arranged for her, despite her efforts to follow up on this with the production team.
She also said she “fell in love” with the film, in which she played soldier Kate Jones, after reading writer-director Dan Pringle’s “brave and daring” script.
She said in her witness statement: “As I have said repeatedly, I fell deeply in love with this project, not just the role, but also the message of the film.”
“I couldn’t imagine leaving the film, as it would have been like giving up my baby.
‘It still feels that way.’
The actress denied allegations that she was not ready to move forward with the project, saying, “In the 20 years I’ve been making movies, I’ve never broken a contract or missed a day of shooting.”
The film was also set to feature Game Of Thrones star Charles Dance and Twister star Helen Hunt, with Oscar winner Kathy Bates joining the film at one point.
Mr Pringle said the proposed budget had been cut from the $10 million (£8 million) originally discussed with Ms Green to a lower estimate of €5.3 million (£4.6 million). sterling).
The French actress, who played Vesper Lynd in the James Bond thriller ‘Casino Royale,’ is suing the producers for a $1 million fee she says she is owed for ‘A Patriot.’
Bond girl Eva Green, pictured in Casino Royale with Daniel Craig, is in High Court in a legal battle over the disappearance of a £4 million film project.
White Lantern Films is defending the case and filing a counterclaim against the French actress, alleging she made “unreasonable demands” and undermined the film’s production.
White Lantern’s Max Mallin KC previously claimed that Ms. Green had an “animus” towards a vision for the film held by one of the film’s executive producers, Jake Seal.
The lawyer said that in exchanges with her agent and the film’s director, Ms Green claimed Mr Seal was planning to make a ‘cheap B-movie’, describing him as ‘the devil’ and local crew members as ‘fucking peasants’. .. of Hampshire’.
Ms Green told the court she would be “working with people who don’t have experience” under Mr Seal’s proposals.
Mallin said: ‘Fucking peasants. Should we interpret that as inexperienced?
Ms Green replied: “I have nothing against peasants”, prompting Mr Mallin to reply: “Hence the use of the word shit”.
Producers Terry Bird (left) and Jake Seal were mentioned in the texts and appointed by Ms Green
Green during filming in London in May 2021
The French actress (photo in 2021) entered the witness box to testify in the lawsuit on Monday, the third day of the trial in London.
The actress continued: ‘I have nothing against peasants.
‘I didn’t want to work with a poor team. I wanted to work with a high quality team who only wanted to charge industry standard rates.’
In her written evidence, Ms Green apologized for “inappropriate language” and “some horrible things” expressed by her in emails and text messages in August and September 2019.
The court was later told that Ms Green had sent a text message, suggesting that the film directed by Mr Seal would be a ‘shitty B movie’.
Ms Green said, “I never wanted this to be a B movie, but I realized more towards the end that it was going to happen.”
She continued: “I thought we had these weird producers but a strong team, so we could still make something of good quality, but I was probably naive.”
Ms Green’s lawyer, Edmund Cullen KC, said the legal battle was “designed to paint my client as a diva in order to win headlines and damage her reputation.”
Cullen later said that the messages “need to be seen in the context” of negotiations over buying the rights to the script.
Describing the film as a “passion project”, Cullen said that the actress “did everything she could” to make the film, but “the financial plan was never going to work out”.
Ms. Green expected to begin her statement in the afternoon. The trial continues.