Rory Kennedy Revisits the Alec Baldwin Case
The 2022 documentary, The Trial of Alec Baldwin, focuses on the years following the shooting on the set of Rust. Rather than waiting to examine the case in a court of law, director Rory Kennedy focuses on the years following the shooting as Baldwin faces criminal and civil charges and remains in the crosshairs of the media and the court of public opinion.
Kennedy’s crew began filming Baldwin in 2023. This allowed them to capture major legal developments in real time and chart Baldwin’s legal odyssey as it progressed. The documentary’s running time is approximately 111 minutes and had its world premiere at the 2026 DOC NYC festival. The U.S. theatrical release began in October 2026.
The documentary begins with the 2021 shooting on the set of Rust that led to the death of Halyna Hutchins and the injury of Joel Souza.
Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death in 2022. Judge Wilson dismissed the charges against Baldwin in 2024 after evidence that was not provided to the defense was ruled to be improper.
The Trial of Alec Baldwin covers this time line but provides additional analysis of the case. Kennedy shows how, in addition to discussing the legal ramifications of the case, the public and the media blurred the lines between Baldwin’s celebrity and reputation and the case itself.
For those viewers looking up ‘moviebox‘ type terms to find the documentary, it’s essential to make this distinction: this documentary is a nonfiction examination of a true-crime case as opposed to a fictionalized dramatization of a crime.
Rory Kennedy Had Years of Access to Baldwin
Rory Kennedy began filming Baldwin in 2023 after he agreed to be part of the documentary.
Blue Ant Media claims the production filmed Baldwin during pivotal moments in the case and captured behind the scenes footage. The production also captured Baldwin during the legal proceedings and as the case became the center of the public sphere.
Kennedy is the niece of Robert Kennedy and has been nominated for an Oscar for her documentaries. Some of her other works include Ethel and Last Days in Vietnam.
In an observational style, she captures Baldwin during the legal proceedings and his public trial preparations. Kennedy does not dramatize or reconstruct the case.
This means the documentary covers the same case as the other news reports, but adds the public’s perspective as well as Baldwin’s celebrity status and the role it played during the case.
This does not take away the underlying tragedy of the case.
The documentary spends a lot of time on Hutchins and her death and how the media covered Baldwin in the process.
This creates a lot of the structure of the documentary.
The Trial Ended Before a Verdict
The title of the documentary, The Trial of Alec Baldwin, might give the impression that viewers will see a traditional courtroom documentary where a jury hears and decides a case.
This is not the case.
Baldwin’s criminal case was dismissed during the July 2024 trial. A judge ruled in the defense’s favor after a dispute about evidence the defense claimed had not been disclosed. Since the case was dismissed, the jury did not reach a verdict on the charge of involuntary manslaughter.
This is the focus of the Kennedy documentary.
The documentary can cover not only why Baldwin was charged, but why the case ended without a verdict.
For viewers interested in the documentary and interested in the term movie box, this information is helpful, because the title alludes to a real-life court case and a trial in particular where the ending is more procedural than a final ruling.
The Film Also Examines the Media Storm
The documentary goes beyond depositions and court testimonies.
Abramorama, which obtained the film for the North American theatrical release, says that Kennedy had unparalleled access to Baldwin during the years after the incident. Therefore, the film covers both the legal process and what happened to Baldwin outside the courtroom.
This includes how people reach decisions before the outcome of cases.
Alec Baldwin’s personality, as displayed by news coverage and social media, blended with the celebrity culture and Baldwin’s own persona, formed the context for the trial that Kennedy documents.
Kennedy is not trying to help Baldwin with his public image. The documentary shows that with Baldwin’s public image, you can’t separate opinions about a famous person from opinions about a case.
The Trial of Alec Baldwin is released theatrically in October of 2026.
The documentary was first released on November 13, 2025, at DOC NYC as a 111-minute documentary, directed by Rory Kennedy.
A theatrical release happened much later.
The Trial of Alec Baldwin opened in New York City on October 1, 2026, at the Village East by Angelika. The Los Angeles release is set for October 15, with a wider theatrical release set to start on October 16.
Some earlier listings have the New York release set for October 2.
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