After 'Rust' Tragedy, The Rock Vows To Stop Using Real Guns On Set
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson just made a pledge that could change the film industry — and make it safer for everyone
Investigations are still ongoing in the deadly accidental shooting on the set of Rust. Alec Baldwin, told that the prop gun he was handling was safe and unloaded, allegedly accidentally shot the film’s director, Joel Souza, and its cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. Hutchins died from her injuries. Now, there’s a bigger conversation beginning about safety on film sets — and whether real guns should be allowed at all. Leading that conversation is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who has already made a promise that his own production company, Seven Bucks Productions, will stop using real guns as props.
“First of all, I was heartbroken,” The Rock told reporters from Variety at the premiere of his new Netflix original film, Red Notice. “We lost a life. My heart goes out to her family and everybody on set. I’ve known Alec, too, for a very long time.”
The Rock had to handle firearms for his role in Red Notice, and after he said he wouldn’t allow the use of real guns on Seven Bucks Productions sets anymore, he also said he intends to hold any studio he works with to that same standard.
“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,” he said. “We’re going to switch over to rubber guns, and we’re going to take care of it in post. We’re not going to worry about the dollars; we won’t worry about what it costs.”
The Rock also spoke about the day the news broke of the tragic accident on the Rust set, and said he was on the phone with his team within hours to discuss changes they needed at his production company to ensure everyone on set stayed safe.
“I love the movie business,” The Rock said. “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. 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.”
He added, “Any movie we do that Seven Bucks does with any studio, the rule is we’re not going to use real guns. That’s it.”
