ABC's police procedural television series The Rookie has banned 'live' gunfire on the set, according to a memo released by showrunner Alexi Hawley. The set has banned all live weapons and will instead use Air Soft guns with CG effects, per the report which was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. Hawley has implemented the decision in the best interest of the cast and crew, claiming that "any risk is too much risk."
The memo reporting the decision, made in the wake of the tragic shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the indie Western film Rust, stated the following:
"The tragic events in New Mexico yesterday have shaken us all, and our hearts go out to the friends and family of Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza.
As of today, it is now policy on The Rookie that all gunfire on set will be Air Soft guns with CG muzzle flashes added in post. There will be no more “live” weapons on the show. The safety our cast and crew is too important. Any risk is too much risk.
As always, if you ever feel unsafe or witness anything that concerns you, please don’t hesitate to report it.
My door is always open.
Alexi Hawley"
The Rookie is likely to be the first of many productions that will implement new protocols following the tragedy on the set of Rust. All of the major networks have their own police or detective procedurals which will face similar issues. The wording of 'live' weapons is critical to take note of, as once a weapon is loaded (with either live bullets or blanks), it is considered a real gun. Hawley and The Rookie's production studios, Entertainment One and ABC Signature, have opted to add in the firing effects in post-production.
The Rookie stars Nathan Fillion as Los Angeles police officer John Nolan, who moves to the city to become a cop and is the oldest rookie on the force. Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Melissa O'Neil, and Afton Williamson co-star. The Rookie premiered on ABC in 2018, and is currently in its fourth season with 58 episodes thus far. It airs Sundays on ABC.