Alec Baldwin to Star in Movie About 1970 Kent State Shooting After 'Rust' Tragedy

The actor recently finished filming Rust, which resumed earlier this year in Montana

Alec Baldwin has lined up his next project.

The actor, 65, will star in Kent State, a film about the May 4, 1970, tragedy when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on the Kent State University campus during protests of the Vietnam War, killing four unarmed students and injuring nine others.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Baldwin will play then-president of the university Robert White. The project will be the feature directorial debut of Karen Slade.

About the project, producer Tom Ortenberg previously told Deadline in September, "The Kent State shooting was a dark and pivotal moment in our nation's history. This is a story that needs to be told and surprisingly never has. We are looking forward to bringing it to the big screen to educate and inspire both the young and old alike."

Another movie about the Kent State events was reportedly in development back in 2017.

Jay Roach was set to direct a film based on the book 67 Shots: Kent State and the End of American Innocence, and among the producers at the time was Tina Fey, whose musician husband Jeff Richmond is an alum of the university.

Related:Alec Baldwin Says He's 'Grateful for All the Support' in Montana as He Resumes Filming Rust

Baldwin's casting news comes after he wrapped completion of his Western Rust. The production was put on an indefinite hold after a gun held by the actor on set discharged, wounding director Joel Souza and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021. Criminal charges that were brought against Baldwin in New Mexico have since been dropped.

On Instagram Tuesday, Baldwin shared a photo of himself with a shaven face, marking an end to his time playing his bearded Rust role. He wrote, "God, it felt good to shave off that beard…."

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Back in December 2021, two months after the Rust incident, Baldwin said in an ABC News interview that his career "could be" over after the tragedy. "I said to myself, 'Do I want to work much more after this? Is it worth it?' " he said at the time. The actor also said he "can't imagine" he would ever do a movie that "had a gun in it again," adding: "I can't."

Then, last year, Baldwin said he was fired from a job because of the Rust scandal.

Rust resumed filming earlier this year in Montana. After Baldwin and other Rust producers settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hutchins' widower Matthew in October, the team agreed to complete the movie with Matthew as an executive producer, along with cinematographer Bianca Cline completing Hutchins's work. A release date has not been revealed.

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