Exclusive: Will Poulter Sings in The Score

British actor Will Poulter continues to challenge himself with interesting roles. He co-stars with Johnny Flynn and Naomi Ackie in a heist musical called The Score. The film follows two small-time criminals as they try to recover stolen money. They run into problems at a rural roadside café. Will’s character, the rough and tumble young upstart Troy, is smitten by the captivating waitress, Gloria (Ackie). Their instant connection becomes a problem for Mike (Flynn), who’s arranged the meeting and has another duplicitous agenda.

Written and directed by Malachi Smyth with the production team responsible for Yesterday, The Score utilizes the music and lyrics of Johnny Flynn. The famed film, theater, and television actor has released five studio albums with his band, Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit. Flynn has also served as a composer on film soundtracks. Smyth and Flynn collaborated on The Score’s beautiful songs.

Working with Johnny Flynn and Singing Onscreen

My first question concerned Will’s awareness of Johnny Flynn’s musical career. Did he have any input on the songwriting?

Will Poulter: I was a big fan of Johnny as an actor. But if I’m honest I hadn’t heard his music until The Score. It’s so beautiful and he’s such a brilliant artist. His lyrics are full of such depth and they were an invaluable resource to us during the shoot. We’d quite often refer to the lyrics of the music to supplement the scripts. We were really lucky to have the combination of such a brilliant script and so many lyrically rich songs.

Poulter has had a tremendous career since childhood. He’s come a long way since playing the memorable Eustace in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The Score marks a significant change in his choices as an actor.

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Describe the pitch meeting for doing a heist musical?

Will Poulter: It’s virtually impossible to box or define The Score and that’s what I loved about it. The script and the music really spoke for themselves. It’s a heist musical as you say. It’s simultaneously a relationship drama and full of comedy. I love the fact it offers so much.

The next logical question was singing on screen. Did he have any reservations or nerves about doing something completely new?

Will Poulter: Definitely! Especially given what a talented musician Johnny is and even more so after hearing how beautiful Naomi’s voice is! But we were fortunate to have a few days in the recording studio where we pre-recorded nearly all the songs and got familiar with the lyrics. It was a great bonding experience for Nay and I. It was also a really great way of exploring the characters’ journeys ahead of time.

The Best and Worst Days Filming The Score

The Score was filmed during the height of the coronavirus lockdown in England. The production crew had fits and starts but were finally able to complete the shoot. Will comments on the best and worst days on set:

Will Poulter: My worst days were probably in the first week when I had tonsillitis. Not ideal shooting a musical! But vastly outweighed by a bunch of good days. Driving in the car with Johnny, Nay and I on the swing set, the impromptu photo shoot in the diner, they all spring to mind as good days full of laughter.

Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Will made headlines with his casting as Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy’s third installment. Will could not answer any specific questions about the upcoming blockbuster sequel. He’d just wrapped filming on Guardians 3 the week before this interview. He’s extremely muscular and fit in The Score. I asked if he’d bulked up to prepare for shooting Guardians 3.

Will Poulter: (laughs) I wasn’t actually. I didn’t do my first audition for at least 6 months after we wrapped [The Score].

The Score is a production of Sentinel Entertainment, Stigma Films, and Trigger Films. It will release exclusively in theaters on June 3rd and VOD on June 10th from Gravitas Ventures.