Entertainment News Roundup: Alec Baldwin was aiming at camera when gun discharged - affidavit; Somali drama wins Pan-African film festival grand prize and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Alec Baldwin was aiming at camera when gun discharged - affidavit

Alec Baldwin was drawing a revolver across his body and pointing it at a camera during rehearsal on the set of "Rust" when the weapon fired and struck the cinematographer in the chest, according to an affidavit released on Sunday. The affidavit provided additional details about Thursday's accidental shooting in New Mexico that killed 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Baldwin had been handed the prop gun and told it was unloaded, authorities in Santa Fe have said in court documents.

Somali drama wins Pan-African film festival grand prize

Somalia's entry "The Gravedigger's Wife" by Finish-Somali writer-director Khadar Ayderus Ahmed won the prestigious Stallion of Yennenga grand prize for best film at the Pan-African film festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Sunday. The poignant drama about a gravedigger's struggles to raise money to pay for his wife's surgery, took home the 20 million franc CFA ($35,714) prize money and the golden stallion statue.

New Mexico, site of Baldwin set shooting, plays key role for Hollywood

The dusty desert landscapes of New Mexico have provided the perfect backdrop for Hollywood Westerns, but the state also has served as a filming location for everything from drug-dealing drama "Breaking Bad" to sci-fi mystery "Stranger Things." New Mexico's role in the TV and movie business was thrust into the spotlight last week when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the set of "Rust", a Western that was being filmed at the Bonanza Creek Ranch outside Santa Fe. Actor Alec Baldwin fired the prop gun that killed Hutchins after being told it was not loaded, according to authorities.

Broadway's 'Phantom of the Opera' plots a cautious return to the stage

Meghan Picerno was back at work after 18 months of pandemic limbo, overjoyed to be singing and dancing again with her "Phantom of the Opera" castmates as they rehearsed for the return of Broadway's longest-running show. As the musical's late October reopening neared, sometimes all Picerno could think about was making it to the first curtain call unscathed by the breakthrough COVID-19 cases that had sidelined vaccinated actors at other shows.

Motor racing-Ecclestone offered ski role, agrees with Verstappen on Netflix

Ex-Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, 91 on Thursday, is adamant about one thing after being offered an advisory role by the new head of skiing's governing body -- he will not be taking to the slopes. FIS president and fellow-billionaire Johan Eliasch told reporters before the weekend's Alpine World Cup season-openers in Soelden, Austria, that he had approached Ecclestone about joining an advisory board.

'Dune' Opens to $40 Million at the Box Office. Strong Enough for a Sequel?

"Dune," an adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic, opened to $40.1 million at the North American box office. It's a respectable start given the ongoing pandemic and the film's unconventional theatrical debut. In addition to playing in 4,125 domestic theaters, "Dune" (like all Warner Bros. movies in 2021) premiered simultaneously on HBO Max, which might have taken a chunk out of overall ticket sales. In a milestone for the studio, "Dune" landed the biggest three-day tally for Warner Bros. since the company began its day-and-date strategy on HBO Max. "Godzilla vs. Kong," which scored a then-pandemic record $31 million in April, previously held that high-water mark. In the months in between, anticipated movies such as "The Suicide Squad," the LeBron James sports comedy "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and the musical adaptation of "In the Heights" failed to live up to box office expectations while being offered concurrently on HBO Max.

Armorer, assistant director in focus of Baldwin movie set shooting probe

As law enforcement investigates the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by actor Alec Baldwin in an accident on the set of "Rust", court records show the probe includes the movie's armorer and assistant director. Here are some details about both:

Prop guns spark debate after cinematographer's death on set

An on-set shooting death has reignited concern about the use of prop guns like the weapon actor Alec Baldwin discharged in the killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming a movie in New Mexico. Some prop guns are non-firing facsimile weapons, but many are real guns, loaded with blank rounds instead of bullets.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)