Actress Amber Heard has made countless headlines over the last few years, largely related to her relationship with ex Johnny Depp. Since the verdict of the Depp/Heard defamation case was revealed, both actors have been living in Europe and eventually returning to their craft. For the latter actress, the first project is an upcoming thriller titled In the Fire. And Heard’s director explained why she connected with the role so much.
While there were rumors that Heard was quitting Hollywood/acting, it turns out those weren’t exactly true. She stars as Grace Burnham in In the Fire, a doctor in the 1980s trying to care for an ill boy, whom the community thinks is possessed. Director/writer Conor Allyn spoke to The Messenger about the forthcoming movie and his lead actress. While Heard claimed filming was magical, Allyn pointed out what he saw as a parallel between the project and real life. As he told the outlet:
It’s not a coincidence that she connected with it so strongly. This is bullying of the 19th century where, when things go wrong, as they do in this movie, you get dragged through the public square and whipped. Nowadays, bullying is equally, if not more, prevalent, except it happens physically as well as over social media, and it happens on a global scale.
There you have it. Looks like Conor Allyn saw a connection between the way the public has reacted to Amber Heard with the plot of In the Fire. The film shows a mob mentality forming about a young boy, with the mystery seemingly being whether or not he’s actually possessed. Only time will tell if moviegoers have the same reaction.
As previously mentioned, the public was absolutely transfixed with Heard and Depp’s legal battle as it raged on. With cameras in the courtroom, people watched the trial unfold from their TV, including both Depp and Heard’s grueling testimonies. Eventually the court of public opinion made its own judgment, and the Rum Diary actress was the subject of a ton of backlash online.
For her part, Heard hasn’t echoed the statements of Allyn regarding her possible connection to In The Fire. Not only was it the first movie filmed after the defamation case, but Heard also attended the movie’s festival premiere, making a rare public appearance in the process. And it should be interesting to see how the public’s ongoing fascination with the actress ultimately affects the new movie’s performance.
In the Fire is in select theaters now. Heard will also return to the silver screen again shortly in Aquaman 2 on December 20th. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.