Alec Baldwin no longer faces the possibility of five years in prison after prosecutors dropped part of the charges being levelled at him for his part in a fatal film set shooting - but he still could be jailed for a lesser time.

Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust in October 2021.

Baldwin, 64, is due to make his first appearance in a US court on Friday.

The first charge facing Baldwin - involuntary manslaughter - requires proof of underlying negligence.

The second charge - involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act - requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in a death, and includes a firearm enhancement, which makes the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in prison.

This second charge has now been removed, reducing the possible prison sentence Baldwin faces from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 18 months.

The actor-producer's legal team had objected to the enhancement, saying it was unconstitutional because it only became law after the October 2021 shooting.

"In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr Baldwin and his attorneys, the district attorney and the special prosecutor have removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the Rust film set," Heather Brewer, a spokesperson for the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney, said in a statement.

A lawyer for Baldwin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Alec Baldwin's charges reduced over Rust shooting | Ents & Arts News | Sky News