Laura Dern and Jack O’Connell Face the Heat in New Trial By Fire Trailer

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Roadside Attractions has released the trailer for their forthcoming film Trial By Fire, starring Laura Dern and Jack O’Connell.

Trial By Fire, based on the New Yorker article of the same name, accounts the relationship between an accused murderer on death row (O’Connell) and the woman (Dern) who defends his innocence even after his execution.

The film’s official synopsis reads:

Trial By Fire is the true-life Texas story of the unlikely bond between an imprisoned death row inmate (Jack O’Connell) and a mother of two from Houston (Laura Dern) who, though facing staggering odds, fights mightily for his freedom. Cameron Todd Willingham, a poor, uneducated heavy metal devotee with a violent streak and a criminal record, is convicted of arson-related triple homicide in 1992. During his 12 years on death row, Elizabeth Gilbert, an improbable ally, uncovers questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case, and battles with the state to expose suppressed evidence that could save him. Her efforts ultimately fail, and since Willingham’s execution, the disturbing question remains: Did Texas execute an innocent man?

The true-crime drama was directed by Glory and The Last Samurai’s Edward Zwick, and was written by Oscar winner Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious).

Spend some time with the new trailer below ahead of Trial By Fire’s theatrical release on May 17, and check out the film’s poster further down.