Amber Heard's director thinks she's ready for 'hell of a comeback' after Johnny Depp drama

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Failla on Amber Heard's request for new trial

During an appearance on "America's Newsroom," Jimmy Failla shares his thoughts on actress Amber Heard seeking a new defamation trial against ex-husband Johnny Depp.

Amber Heard has an "incredibly bright future" in Hollywood, according to her latest movie director.

Conor Allyn – who directed "In The Fire," which stars Heard – recently shared that despite the actress' bombshell defamation trial against Johnny Depp, her upcoming movie will be a "platform" for a "hell of a comeback."

Heard, along with Allyn and several co-stars, attended the Italy premiere of "In The Fire" at the Taormina Film Festival over the weekend.

In the indie thriller, Heard stars as a psychiatrist named Grace set in the 1890s. The film wrapped production in March 2022, several months before her infamous trial with Depp began in Virginia.

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Amber Heard's "In The Fire" director, Conor Allyn, discussed the actress' future after her legal battle with ex Johnny Depp. (Getty Images)

The six-week courtroom spectacle ended in June 2022 with a $10.35 million judgment against Heard for defaming Depp by penning a 2018 op-ed that referred to herself as a domestic abuse victim. It did not name Depp. The jury handed Heard $2 million in her countersuit. 

Depp agreed to settle the case last December for $1 million, which was paid this month by the "Aquaman" actress' insurance company.

"Amber has an incredibly bright future ahead," Allyn told People magazine at the premiere. "I think ‘In the Fire’ showcases her talents as an actor. I know this is something she is very proud of, and it’s something we are very excited to release to the public."

Amber Heard is shown during the 69th Taormina Film Festival on June 24, 2023, in Taormina, Italy. (Ernesto Ruscio)

He added, "I think it will be a great opportunity for her to have something beyond the trial and stuff to talk about and to be a platform for a hell of a comeback."

Allyn spoke on Heard's future in show business, saying that he believes Heard could ditch acting all together if she chooses.

"As a director, I never look for more competition than there already is. But Amber absolutely has the ability and the intelligence and the charisma to direct or to write if she wants to," he shared.

Johnny Depp won his defamation lawsuit against Heard in 2022. (John Phillips)

He continued, "There are a lot of different talents involved in making a movie ... but most of all you need to be able to tell a story, to find the interesting elements, whether it is in the character or in the story as a whole, and to understand the entirety of what’s happening. And she gets that. I can see her directing."

Heard spoke with the outlet at the premiere and described the upcoming film as "a beautiful movie about the almost supernatural effect and force of love."

She added, "It is about the boundaries that love can cross and its creation, and really about the overwhelming power that love has. I don’t want to sound cheesy about it, but it’s a movie about love."

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp battled it out for six weeks in a Virginia court last summer. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool | Steve Helber)

Allyn praised Heard for her role, saying she "had an immediate connection with this character and her skills and talents and intelligence but also her flaws; she could bring them to life in a way no one else could."

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"People don’t do indie films for the paycheck, they do it out of passion," he said. "Your job as a director is to get everyone as excited as you are. With Amber, I had a partner who had the same passion for the role and for the movie and the story itself."

Allyn said that as soon as he signed Heard onto the film, she "dove in headfirst."

Amber Heard stars as a psychiatrist in the 1890s in the upcoming indie thriller. (Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

"Then when we got onstage, to have your movie star be that passionate, it really sets a tone for everyone that works on the movie, when the person at the top of the call list is arriving early, staying late, doing extra rehearsals," he continued.

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"She knew every line by heart, and she knew everyone else’s lines, too, and she knew all the research behind it. It allows us to jump right in and make so much more of the movie than just the words we started with. You’re really lucky on any movie to have something like that," Allyn said.

"In The Fire" also stars Eduardo Noriega, Lorenzo Mcgovern Zaini, Yari Gugliucci and Luca Calvani.