Veteran actor Hugh Grant took the stage at the AFI Fest on Thursday night, captivating the audience with his trademark humor during the introduction of his new film, Heretic. In a brief but memorable 57 seconds, Grant not only introduced the film but also made headlines with a cheeky reference to his infamous 1995 arrest for lewd conduct, delivering laughs and nostalgia in equal measure.
As directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods kicked off the event, they set the stage for the religious horror thriller, which follows two young Mormon missionaries, played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East. The missionaries face a chilling challenge when they inadvertently encounter the diabolical Mr. Reed, portrayed by Grant, who engages them in a nerve-wracking game of cat-and-mouse.
“This movie theater is absolutely magical to us,” Beck remarked, emphasizing the significance of the TCL Chinese Theatre as a cultural landmark. “It’s a beautiful thing that there are hundreds of us here, many of us are strangers, yet we come together in this age of personal devices to celebrate cinema.”
When the directors invited Grant to share his thoughts, he seized the opportunity for humor. “I have nothing interesting to add to that except that it is very nice to be here,” the 64-year-old star quipped. “Hollywood Boulevard has always been a lucky place for me.” This clever nod to his past arrest on Sunset Boulevard for soliciting a sex worker—an incident that rocked Hollywood nearly three decades ago—sent the audience into fits of laughter, highlighting Grant’s ability to turn controversy into comedy.
His playful acknowledgment of his past was not lost on Woods, who doubled over with laughter, and the audience, which erupted in applause. “It’s nice of AFI to have us. It’s nice of you to show up. It was nice of these girls to be so brilliant in the film,” Grant continued, teasing the production team. “It was nice of these two weirdos to put me in it, and nice of the producers to pay me so little,” he joked, further endearing himself to the crowd.
Grant’s humor, while light-hearted, also served as a reminder of his complex relationship with the media. Reflecting on his infamous arrest during a previous interview on The View, he clarified that his criticism of the tabloids stemmed not from personal bitterness but from a larger conversation about privacy and accountability. “With power comes responsibility,” he noted, a phrase that echoes a line from Heretic, where his character corrects a young woman about its origins, connecting it to Voltaire rather than Spider-Man.
The directors also shared insights into the film’s inspiration, rooted in their experiences growing up in Iowa. “Brian and I have known each other since we were 11 years old,” Beck revealed. “Over the years, we’ve had countless conversations about religion and cults, and the fear of what happens after we die. We aimed to create horror not through jump scares but through ideas and discussion.”
Woods added, “In Iowa, discussing religion is often off-limits at the dinner table. We wanted to challenge that norm and create a cinematic conversation about it. Viewing a movie at the Chinese Theatre is like going to church; you share that experience with a congregation of strangers, making it a religious experience in its own right.”
Heretic, set to be released to the public on November 8, promises to spark conversations on faith, horror, and the complexities of human belief. With Grant’s engaging presence and the filmmakers’ compelling vision, this premiere at AFI Fest is sure to leave a lasting impression on audiences.
Read more