Rust movie crew member may need to have arm amputated after on-set spider bite

LOS ANGELES • Another crew member from the movie Rust has been hospitalised, this time for a spider bite.

Doctors are trying to save the arm of Mr Jason Miller, a pipe rigger and lamp operator on the film's wrap team, according to a GoFundMe page launched on his behalf last Friday. He was bitten by a brown recluse spider while working on the set.

"In a matter of days, he experienced severe symptoms including necrosis of his arm and sepsis. He has been hospitalised and endured multiple operations each day as doctors do their best to stop the infection and try to save his arm from amputation," the Miller family wrote.

The fund-raising effort has already exceeded its goal of US$5,000 (S$6,700) and the sum raised stands at US$10,185.

This incident comes after last month's fatal accidental shooting on the set, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and writer-director Joel Souza was injured by a gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin.

On Monday, Baldwin, 63, who is also a producer on the movie, tweeted: "Every film/TV set that uses guns, fake or otherwise, should have a police officer on set, hired by the production, to specifically monitor weapon safety."

A police investigation of the shooting is in progress and prosecutors have not ruled out pressing criminal charges against anyone, including Baldwin.

An online petition to ban guns on sets has gathered 110,000 signatures and Hollywood action star Dwayne Johnson has pledged to never use real firearms in his films again.