Guy Ritchie’s new movie, The Covenant, had a new twist in the filming process: the prohibition of lethal weapons. This decision came after the incident on the production of Rust, when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed after the Colt 45 they used came under live fire.
Guy Ritchie was the one who initiated this move after the New Mexico incident became known. The director emphasized that they will look for ways to make it safer, to avoid tragedies like that and to be able to film with less tension and fear. Instead, they will use safer and more reliable elements, Ritchie added.
Guy Ritchie Won’t Allow Guns on Covenant Movie Set
Director Guy Ritchie, who is leading The Covenant movie, demanded that the weapons used in the film be non-lethal. The director made this decision after the death of Rust’s cinematographer. The director emphasized that they should look for other alternatives, getting gas and air guns that are safer and less risky for the actors and the rest of the crew. On this, Ritchie said this to Newsweek:
“That whole thing has changed now, the whole game has changed. We haven’t used a real weapon since then. So there were no real weapons. It’s the first shoot that we had, which I have to tell you, it’s a tremendous relief for all of us. They’re as good as, they look as good as real weapons, they do all the functions as a real weapon. You get a gas discharge. It all seems as authentic as it can be, but as Jake [Gyllenhaal] said, it’s Airsoft though. No one can get into any trouble.”.
Guy Ritchie’s initiative may be the best, especially considering the props of The Covenant movie. In this one, we see Sgt. John Kinley and his translator Ahmed (Dar Salim) were in Afghanistan during a war. They must cooperate to get out of this situation alive.
The constant use of weapons increases the risk of accidents on the set. For this, they will use Airsoft guns, similar to the real ones but do not cause lethal damage to the other users. In fact, Guy Ritchie emphasized that using these tools causes less stress on the actors since they don’t have to worry about hurting the user during the filming process.
The Rust Case is Teaching a Lesson in Hollywood
Image: IMDB
After the Rust incident, several filmmakers indicated that care should be taken with real weapons that can hurt others. To do so, they indicated that the best option is to use weapons that can resemble the real ones and can perform the corresponding scenes without the risk of getting hurt.
Another to speak on the matter is The Rock, who said that he will not participate in productions that have real weapons that can hurt, injure or even kill them. To this end, he urged filmmakers to check their equipment before using it, and they should only use gas elements or those that do not cause serious damage to the stuntman.
For the time being, Guy Ritchie will continue with the filming of The Covenant movie, but without firearms. They are now using airsoft so that actors, crew members and other production parts are not hurt. The filming will likely continue, though, just taking precautions.
Featured Image Via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer