- Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Maze Runner, 2013. Battle of the Brits… Poulter tested for Newt and won Gally in the film of James Dashner’s dystopian novel. (Vice-versa for Brodie-Sangster). Debuting director Wes Ball called it: Lord of the Flies meets Lost. (Rather than mention Hunger Games or Divergent?)
- Bill Skarsgård, It, 2016. There was talk over seven years about re-hashing the mini-series of 1990 – the year when Stellan Skarsgård’s son/Alexander Tarzan Skarsgård’s brother was born. Pennywise rumours included Jim Carrey, Mark Rylance, Tilda Swinton and, naturally, Johnny Depp and Jackie Earl Haley when Tim Curry passed on reprising his 1990 creation. Ben Mendelsohn, Hollywood’s busiest Aussie since 2010, proved too pricey. Will Poulter was chosen by director Cary Joli Fukunaga, before quitting over artistic differences (true for once). New helmer Andy Muschietti said Poulter was a great option, but was not free for the delayed shoot. Andy auditioned Stephen R Hart, Doug Jones (future Saru in Star Trek: Discovery, 2017-2021),Brian Safi, Timothy Simmons ,Hugo Weaving but gave the shape-shifting killer clown to Stellan Skarsgård’s fourth son (five of his six boys are actors). Bill has Strabismus – he can simultaneously move his eyes in different directions. Great for “such an extreme character… beyond sociopath, because he’s not even human. I’m playing just one of the beings It creates.”Tim Curry thought Bill “very clever, very good.” “Spectacularly scary, the stuff of nightmare,” added Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers. The public agreed and the 225th of King’s staggering 313 screen credits was his biggest hit! A sequel was guaranteed – and made in 2018.
- Alden Ehrenreich, The Yellow Birds, 2016. Due to production delays, Poulter and Benedict Cumberbatch had to leave the Iraq war to Ehrenreich (post Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply) and Jack Huston (post Ben-Hur). Jennifer Anniston stayed in place as the mother of young soldier Tye Sheridan
- Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy, 2017. Auteur Cameron Crowe first tried to film the moving book by father and son, David and Nic Sheff, about dealing with Nic’s crystal meth and heroin addiction.Belgian director Felix Van Groeningen chose the quite perfect pair of Steve Carell and Chalamet.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 4