Alec Baldwin Announces 'Rust' Western, Debuts Match Game Season 5

Alec Baldwin is never one to sit idle, and even as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps him at home in Amagansett, the actor seems as busy as ever. On May 29, Deadline.com announced that Baldwin has signed on for the lead role in an upcoming western action film, Rust, which he also co-wrote with Joel Souza (Crown Vic) and will produce under his El Dorado Pictures banner with Crown Vic co-producer Anjul Nigam and Anna Granucci.

According to Deadline.com, “The plot follows infamous western outlaw Harland Rust (Baldwin), who has had a bounty on his head for as long as he can remember. When his estranged 13-year-old grandson Lucas is convicted of an accidental murder and sentenced to hang, Rust travels to Kansas to break him out of prison. Together, the two fugitives must outrun the legendary U.S. Marshal Wood Helm and bounty-hunter Fenton “Preacher” Lang who are hot on their tail. Deeply buried secrets rise from the ashes and an unexpected familial bond begins to form as the mismatched duo tries to survive the merciless American Frontier.”

Meanwhile, when not inking new film deals, Baldwin appeared in the latest edition of Harry Potter at Home, a video series in which celebrities read chapters from the Harry Potter series. He and 6-year-old daughter Carmen appeared with Hindi film actress Alia Bhatt to read Chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

“My daughter and I love Harry Potter,’ Baldwin said in a statement. “It’s been such a pleasure to be a part of the Harry Potter at Home readings for everyone to enjoy whilst we are all confined at home—happy listening.”

The video is available at wizardingworld.com.

Finally, on the small screen, Baldwin returned to ABC on Sunday, May 31 to host the Season 5 premiere of his popular gameshow, Match Game. The host appeared in a striped prison outfit for his Season 5 debut, which featured a crime-themed “Shooting Blanks” episode. Celebrity guests included actors who, in keeping with the theme, have almost all played police on TV. Fellow Hamptonite Jennifer Esposito of Blue Bloods and Amazon’s The Boys, Michael Chiklis of FX’s The Shield, Adam Rodriguez from Criminal Minds, Angie Harmon of Rizzoli & Isles, and Melissa Fumero of Brooklyn Nine-Nine have all played police, leaving only Sex and the City actor Mario Cantone as the only guest without that distinction.

Match Game Season 5 airs on ABC Sundays at 10 p.m. Episode 2 features Baldwin’s 30 Rock costar and fellow Hamptons resident Jane Krakowski, along with Sam Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Caroline Rhea, James Van Der Beek and Vivica A Fox.