Just days after wrapping on the ill-fated film Rust, Alec Baldwin has reportedly signed on to his next film.

He will join the cast of Kent State, according to the Hollywood Reporter, about what happened at the Ohio university on 4 May 1970 when four students were shot and killed during a campus protest against the war in Vietnam.

Baldwin will star as the Kent State president, Robert White.

The Hollywood Reporter said the film will follow what happened on the day, where the Ohio National Guard opened fire on protesters, who were seeking a meeting with President White.

"The Kent State shooting was a dark and pivotal moment in our nation's history," producer Tom Ortenberg told the Hollywood Reporter last year.

"This is a story that needs to be told and surprisingly never has.

"We are looking forward to bringing it to the big screen to educate and inspire both the young and old alike."

The movie, which will also reportedly question why mass shootings still occur in the US, is currently being touted at Cannes, in the hopes it will be picked up by a distributor.

Also being sold at Cannes is Rust, which wrapped filming this week.