A group of 214 filmmakers is calling for a ban on functional firearms on film sets, following the "Rust" tragedy that killed fellow filmmaker Halyna Hutchins.
Read more: Alec Baldwin Speaks Out After Accidentally Killing Rust Director
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In a letter published Tuesday and obtained by TheWrap, filmmakers including Rachel Morrison (“Mudbound”), Reed Morano (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Bill Pope (“The Matrix”), Edward Lachman (“Carol”) Stephen Lighthill, president of the American Society of Cinematographers, and many others have said they "vow to no longer work on projects" that use functional firearms for the purposes of footage.
“We have pledged to no longer work on projects using functional firearms for filming purposes. We pledge to no longer put ourselves and our staff in these unnecessarily lethal situations,” the letter reads. “We have safe alternatives in VFX and non-functional firearms. We are not going to sit back and wait for the industry to change. We have a duty to effect change within the industry.”
The letter also called Hutchins' murder on the set of "Rust" "senseless, reckless and preventable,” and called on union leadership, producers, and lawmakers to lead the charge for change.
Hutchins died last month when a gun on the set of "Rust", used by Alec Baldwin, went off with what was described as a "lead bullet", killing Hutchins and injuring the film's director, Joel Souza.
Morrison, who was the first woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Cinematography, has previously spoken out about the tragedy telling CNN: "It wasn't an accident, it was negligence."
She is among other filmmakers and creators, such as those of crime drama "The Rookie" and "The Boys", who have said they would no longer use functional firearms on their sets. California State Senator Dave Cortese has drafted a bill that he intends to introduce to the Senate calling for a ban on firearms on movie sets in the state of California.
A change.org petition started after the accident, similarly calling for a ban on guns on sets. More than 100,000 signatures have been collected since the end of October, and the letter in particular includes the hashtag #HalynasLaw.
