The new gunsmith in the troubled western film Rust is an industry veteran who has worked on more than 60 films, including Mortal Kombat, Terminator and The Manchurian Candidate, DailyMail.com has confirmed.
Andrew Wert, 54, of Spokane, Washington, has been brought in to replace rookie prop specialist Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26.
Guttierez-Reed is the only member of the Rust crew still charged with the October 2021 death of cameraman Halyna Hutchins, 42, after movie star Alec Baldwin was unexpectedly acquitted on Thursday.
The rookie faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter and is charged with “careless misuse of firearms,” according to prosecutor’s filings.
Police say she was responsible for loading a live bullet into the Colt .45 pistol that killed Hutchins and now faces a preliminary hearing in Santa Fe starting Aug. 9.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney, Jason Bowles, said his client was “stretched too thin” and asked for more time to focus on her armor duties, but was “denied” and never called back to the church to Baldwin to correctly instruct how to handle the weapon
On the way to Alec Baldwin in Livingston, Montana, day 2 of filming the ill-fated Movie Rust. Alec is staying in Livingston 30 minutes from the movie set in Montana
According to police, they also found texts showing that Gutierrez-Reed had wanted to use live ammunition on a previous set and said they found a combination of live and dummy bullets on the Rust set – a serious safety violation.
Baldwin, 65, is currently in Livingston, Montana, where he has reprised his role as Wild West outlaw Harlan Rust and was pictured back on set Friday – the first time he’s been seen in costume since becoming mother-of-one Hutchins murdered .
Unlike Gutierrez-Reed, a rookie gunsmith with only one other credit to her name, veteran Wert has worked on a string of blockbusters and is a member of the IATSE union.
Along with Rust, his current projects include Ironheart – a TV drama about a teenager who crafted advanced armor – and the upcoming dystopian movie Borderlands.
Older films on his extensive resume include the 2011 classic Straw Dogs, Monster, the 2003 Oscar-winning biopic of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, and the film The SpongeBob SquarePants.
Wert also has credits in the TV series SEAL Team, Terminator Genisys, Transporter 2 and American Heist, among others.
The 54-year-old’s presence on the Rust set is part of a massive staffing overhaul following Hutchins’ death, which also saw the addition of two security officers to the roster for the new shoot.
They are Paul Jordan, the founder of Tenet Safety Production, who previously worked for Universal and has 45 years of experience in the field, and Gary Jensen – a Chicago-based stunt coordinator whose credits include Chicago PD and The X-Men.
The novice gunsmith is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and is charged with “careless mishandling of firearms,” according to prosecutor’s filings. Police say she was responsible for loading a live bullet into the Colt .45 pistol that killed Hutchins (right)
Andrew Wert, 54, of Spokane, Washington, has been brought in to replace rookie prop specialist Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26. Wert has credits in the TV series SEAL Team, Terminator Genisys, Transporter 2 and American Heist, among others. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger on the set of “Terminator”
Wert’s more than 60 films include The Manchurian Candidate. The 2004 political thriller about a brainwashed war veteran who becomes a hit man starred Denzel Washington (left) and Liev Schreiber (right)
Hutchin’s own work is continued by LA-based cinematographer Bianca Cline, whose credits include ads for Nike, CitiBank, and AirBNB, as well as the true-crime miniseries, Murder Among The Mormons.
In a statement ahead of the Rust relaunch, director Joel Souza – who was injured in the 2021 shooting that claimed Hutchins’ life – said: “While bittersweet, I am grateful that a brilliant and dedicated new production team has joined the former cast. and crew adds. determined to finish what Halyna and I started.
“All of my efforts on this film will be dedicated to honoring Halyna’s legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to be able to do this on her behalf.’
In photos taken from the set yesterday, Baldwin can be seen back in action as Harland Rust and wielding a shotgun filled with rubber bullets next to an auburn horse.
The new set, used in place of the original Bonanza Creek location near Santa Fe, consists of a purpose-built western backlot nestled in a dip on a rural ranch owned by the Chico Hot Springs Resort and Spa.
Baldwin can be seen next to a horse on Friday as filming for Rust resumes in Montana
The church, which was notable in the New Mexico set, has been recreated in Montana
Yelllowstone Film Ranch is located 20 miles south of the Montana town of Livingston – itself a thriving Wild West town that prospered after the Northwestern Pacific Railroad built through the area.
As DailyMail.com exclusively revealed, Baldwin is staying in a new-build apartment in the city during the shoot.
Part of the complex, called The Flats at Yellowstone Road, continues to be built with off-plan housing on the market for $285,000.
Property listings show that apartments in the complex have high-end amenities such as quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and brushed nickel fittings.
An AirBNB listing for an apartment in the same building as Baldwin charges potential visitors $222 per night — leaving the actor with a bill of $7,548 if he stays there for the full 35 days the shoot is scheduled.