▶ Watch Video: Dwayne Johnson vows no real guns on his movie sets
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says real guns will not be used on his productions following the deadly shooting of a crew member on the set of the Alec Baldwin film “Rust” last month.
At the premiere of Johnson’s new movie, “Red Notice,” Wednesday night, the 49-year-old actor told “Variety” that his production company, Seven Bucks Productions, will not use real firearms in the future. He said they will switch to rubber prop guns instead.
“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can tell you, without an absence of clarity here, that any movie that we have moving forward with Seven Bucks Productions — any movie, any television show, or anything we do or produce — we won’t use real guns at all,” Johnson said.
“We’re going to switch over to rubber guns, and we’re going to take care of it in post,” he added. “We’re not going to worry about the dollars; we won’t worry about what it costs.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson attends the world premiere of Netflix’s “Red Notice” on Nov. 3, 2021, in Los Angeles, California.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images
The “Jungle Cruise” actor, who is known for his action-packed movies, told the entertainment news outlet that he was “heartbroken” to hear about the loss of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. After her death, he said he got on the phone with his team to discuss changes to make sets safer.
“There are safety protocols and measures that we have always taken in the movie business and we take very seriously, and these sets are safe sets, and we’re proud of that,” he said. “But accidents do happen. And when something like this happens of this magnitude, [that is] this heartbreaking, I think the most prudent thing and the smartest thing to do is just pause for a second and really re-examine how you’re going to move forward and how we’re going to work together.”
His comments come two weeks after actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on October 21 while rehearsing for Rust. According to court records, Baldwin pulled the trigger after assistant director Dave Halls announced the gun was safe to use.
Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the crew member responsible for guns on “Rust,” said she had “no idea” where the live rounds came from, and that the weapons were locked up every night and at lunch. Reed’s attorneys alleged the set “became unsafe” and said it was “extremely difficult” for her to focus on her responsibilities as armorer because she was hired for two positions. Baldwin shared posts of a crew member disputing reports of poor working conditions.
New Mexico officials are continuing to investigate the “Rust” shooting and said charges have not yet been ruled out.
In a tribute to Hutchins, her husband wrote a heartfelt post on Twitter, saying she “inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words.”
