After the tragic shooting on the set of Rust that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead, Guy Ritchie made a decision that he immediately put into effect: No more real guns on his movie sets. Considering the next film on his plate was the action-heavy The Covenant, starring Jake Gyllenhaal in warzone conditions, Ritchie had his work cut out for him. However, the director is actually glad he finally made the call.
“It’s a tremendous relief for all of us,” Ritchie told Newsweek while he and Gyllenhaal touted the benefits of using Airsoft weaponry for the military action scenes:
“They’re as good as, they look as good as real weapons, they do all the functions as a real weapon. You get a gas discharge. It all seems as authentic as it can be, but as Jake said, it’s Airsoft though. No one can get into any trouble.”
Ritchie also revealed that he’s “never liked” using real guns while filming, and he’s glad the industry is finally waking up to the fact that there are safer methods.
“I had no idea why we carried on in the industry with real firearms,” Ritchie said. “It was just one of those things that everyone did, and it’s a tremendous relief, as I’m sure it is for Jake, as much as it is for me, that you don’t have that sword hanging over us any longer.”
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is now playing theaters.
(Via Newsweek)