(Left to right:) Asher Angel, Peter Facinelli and Fiona Dourif in “On Fire”.Photo:Courtesy of Cineverse
Courtesy of Cineverse
Peter Facinelli’s new film is more than just an edge-of-your-seat thriller about fleeing a massive wildfire.On Fireserves an important purpose as well, the star and co-director tells PEOPLE exclusively.
“You start to get an in-depth look at how these fires affect individual families,” says Facinelli, who co-directed the indie with screenwriter Nick Lyon. (Ron Peer co-wrote the script.)
“They’re just this middle-class American family that has bills to pay, they have all these [typical] problems,” he says ofOn Fire’s characters. “But there’s no bigger problem that you can have than when your life is on the line. And then all of those smaller issues go to the wayside and it becomes, ‘How can we survive this?’ ”
He repeats a line of dialogue from the movie that doubles as its central point: “Things can be replaced, but people can’t.”
Fiona Dourif and Peter Facinelli in “On Fire”.Courtesy of Cineverse
On Fireserves as a rallying cry to “remember that, to know what’s important,” adds Facinelli. And if the fire prevention techniques the film’s family uses to protect their house educate audiences too, all the better.
“October isFire Prevention Month,” he points out. “So that’s helpful, too, that this film’s coming out at a time when it can give people reminders of what they can do to prevent fires.”
Of course,On Firewas bound to reflect recent real-life news regardless of exactly when it arrived in theaters. The “really heartbreaking”Aug. 8 wildfires of Lahaina, Hawaiiare on Facinelli’s mind as he discusses this all-too-relevant story.
Peter Facinelli in “On Fire”.Courtesy of Cineverse
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“We’ve been trying to raise money for the Maui fires,” he says, revealing that he’ll appear on an upcoming episode ofCelebrity Jeopardy!His charity of choice: the American Red Cross supporting theHawaii Wildfire Fund.
Ultimately, Facinelli hopesOn Fireis received as more than just entertainment. “There is a message of hope and of giving tribute to those heroes that put their lives on the line. But in the end, you hope that it gives pause, [that audiences] question, ‘What can we do to solve this issue?’ ”
On Fireis in theaters now.
source: people.com
