Two days after announcing that he had finally finished the tragic western film Rust, Alec Baldwin has his next job lined up.
The actor, 65, will star in Kent State, a film about the tragic May 1970 Kent State University campus shooting that killed four unarmed students and injured nine others.
Members of the Ohio National Guard open fire during a peace rally opposing the growing involvement of the Vietnam War in Cambodia by US military forces and protesting the presence of the Guard national on campus.
Baldwin will play the role of former university president Robert White, , according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The next film will mark Karen Slade’s directorial debut, from a screenplay she also wrote.
New Role: Alec Baldwin, 65, will star in Kent State, a film about the tragic May 1970 Kent State University campus shooting that left four unarmed students dead and nine injured; Baldwin seen in March
Inspired by the true events of the so-called May 4th Massacre, the story is told from Will McCormack’s perspective at two points in his life, according to a Deadline.
This raises both the question of what happened then and why these kinds of events continue to occur.
“The Kent State shooting was a dark and pivotal moment in our country’s history. It’s a story that needs to be told and one that, surprisingly, never has been,’ producer Tom Ortenberg told the publication.
“We can’t wait to bring it to the big screen to educate and inspire young and old.”
The outlet also revealed Dermot Mulroney, Clancy Brown, Aksel Hennie, Christopher Backus, Christopher Ammanuel, Andrew Ortenberg and Jacqueline Emerson were cast.
Baldwin’s casting comes just after he wraps up filming Rust.
In the western, the longtime man plays an infamous outlaw who comes out of hiding to save his 13-year-old grandson from being hanged for murder.
Filming began in New Mexico on October 6, 2021, but was suspended indefinitely two weeks later after a prop gun held by Baldwin discharged, injuring director Joel Souza and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Baldwin would ultimately be charged with two counts of manslaughter, in New Mexico.
Eventually, Baldwin and other Rust producers settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, in October 2022.
The team also agreed to complete the film with Matthew Hutchins as executive producer, as well as Bianca Cline filling in the work of his late wife as cinematographer.
Ultimately, those criminal charges against Baldwin were dropped on April 20, 2023, and he returned to set to complete filming his scenes in Montana the following day.
On Monday, May 15, the Oscar-nominated actor announced he was finishing Rust in an Instagram post.
It’s over: News of Baldwin plotting his next job comes two days after production on tragic western film Rust ended
Relief: A day later, Baldwin shared how “it felt good to shave his beard” he grew up for the movie
On-set tragedy: Baldwin had faced two criminal charges related to the accidental firing of a propeller gun on the set of Rust in October 2021 that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. These charges were eventually dropped in April 2023
Give thanks: Baldwin shared photos from the set of Rust, for which he thanked his young co-star Easton Malcolm, whom he previously called “the next Brad Pitt”
‘Last day on set of RUST with this guy. A very talented actor and a charming young man with a bright future ahead of him. My love to you, @patrickscottmcdermott,’ he wrote.
Later that day, Baldwin showed off a freshly shaved face, writing in the caption, “God, it felt good shaving off that beard…”
During the final rounds of filming, the New York native shared photos taken on set, including a couple with his young co-star Easton Malcolm, whom he called “the next Brad Pitt” in an April 30 post. .
“Saying goodbye to my co-star EASTON MALCOLM wasn’t easy,” Baldwin shared the following day. “Thank you, Brett, for sharing it with us. We love you, Easton.
