Alec Baldwin's first projects after fatal Rust shooting will be two Christmas movies

Alec Baldwin is back on set five months after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the making of the now suspended Western film Rust.

The actor, 63, is starring in two hybrid live-action/animated Christmas films, Kid Santa and Billie's Magic Word, alongside his brother William Baldwin. The brothers are also producing the family comedies, which hail from Minerva Pictures and Monika Bacardi and Andrea Iervolino's ILBE. Shooting on the films has just begun in Rome, according to the Italian news organization ANSA.

Per Deadline Hollywood, Italian filmmaker Francesco Cinquemani is directing both movies, reuniting him with the Baldwin brothers. He previously worked with William on the 2021 film The Christmas Witch and with Alec on the 2015 film Andron: The Black Labyrinth.

Representatives for the Baldwins and the production companies did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment Wednesday.

Baldwin previously shared that he had returned to work in early February, posting an Instagram video from an airport. He did not, however, provide details about the project or his whereabouts at the time.

The two new movies come after Rust halted production indefinitely to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hutchins' death in October. During rehearsals near Santa Fe, N.M., a prop gun being wielded by Baldwin discharged a live round that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Baldwin had been told the gun was "cold," or unloaded. In an interview with ABC News in December, the actor insisted he didn't pull the trigger.

Hutchins' family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and other crew members in February, alleging that Baldwin and "others responsible for the safety on set" led to Hutchins' "senseless and tragic death." Hutchins' husband, Matthew, filed the complaint on behalf of himself and their 9-year-old son, Andros, suing for negligent, intentional, willful, or reckless misconduct resulting in wrongful death and seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

Aaron Dyer, an attorney for Baldwin and other film producers, said in a statement to EW at the time that "any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false." Dyer added, "Everyone's hearts and thoughts remain with Halyna's family as they continue to process this unspeakable tragedy. We continue to cooperate with the authorities to determine how live ammunition arrived on the Rust set in the first place."

Rust's chief electrician, Serge Svetnoy, and script supervisor Mamie Mitchell have also filed lawsuits pertaining to alleged negligence on set. Baldwin's attorneys are pursuing a dismissal of Mitchell's lawsuit.

In his ABC News interview, Baldwin said he felt remorseful about the accident but absolved himself of fault. "I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible, and I don't say that lightly," he said, adding that the shooting had taken a mental toll on him. "I go through my day, and I make it through the day. Then I collapse at the end of the day. Emotionally, I collapse."

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• Halyna Hutchins' family sues Alec Baldwin and more crew over Rust shooting