Will Poulter and the ‘Union County’ team take their addiction recovery film on an Ohio tour

Will Poulter and the ‘Union County’ team take their addiction recovery film on an Ohio tour 1 of 5 | Adam Meeks, from left, Annette Deao and Will Poulter pose for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) 2 of 5 | Annette Deao poses for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) 3 of 5 | This image released by Oscilloscope Laboratories shows Will Poulter in a scene from “Union County.” (Oscilloscope Laboratories via AP) 4 of 5 | Adam Meeks poses for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) 5 of 5 | Will Poulter, left, and Annette Deao pose for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) 1 of 5 | Adam Meeks, from left, Annette Deao and Will Poulter pose for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) 1 of 5 Adam Meeks, from left, Annette Deao and Will Poulter pose for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 5 | Annette Deao poses for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) 2 of 5 Annette Deao poses for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 5 | This image released by Oscilloscope Laboratories shows Will Poulter in a scene from “Union County.” (Oscilloscope Laboratories via AP) 3 of 5 This image released by Oscilloscope Laboratories shows Will Poulter in a scene from “Union County.” (Oscilloscope Laboratories via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 5 | Adam Meeks poses for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) 4 of 5 Adam Meeks poses for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 5 | Will Poulter, left, and Annette Deao pose for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) 5 of 5 Will Poulter, left, and Annette Deao pose for a portrait to promote “Union County” on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Cleveland. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Cleveland (AP) — A movie star, a filmmaker and a chemical dependency counselor are halfway through a multiday road trip around Ohio and things are starting to get a little goofy.British actor Will Poulter, Ohio-born and Brooklyn-based writer-director Adam Meeks and Annette Deao, the program director of an adult recovery court in west-central Ohio, were close enough before, having made the indie film “Union County” just last year. But nothing is quite so bonding as spending hours upon hours together packed inside a Chevrolet Traverse as they bring their film, a raw but hopeful portrait of addiction and recovery, out nationwide Friday, to independent movie theaters across the state. A very Ohio road tripIn a lengthy interview with The Associated Press at the Cleveland Cinematheque, it becomes immediately clear that nothing is even remotely “Hollywood” about this tour.There are no publicists, studio representatives or glam squads. One day, they all showed up to a regional news station wearing essentially the same thing (white T-shirts). Their “driver” is one of the film’s producers. They’ve made stops at family homes, including Deao’s 185-year-old renovated barn, Meeks’ uncle’s garage where he’d been storing various props and costumes from the movie “just in case.” And they’re serious about finding Ohio’s best cuisine, counting Hoyo’s Kitchen, a Somali food stall inside Columbus’ North Market, as a particular highlight. In the car, chosen primarily to accommodate two men who are over 6 feet tall, Deao supplied the snacks, a healthy smorgasbord of mandarin oranges, mangoes and coconut chocolate covered almonds. Meeks helped with the playlist (including Ohio’s own Afroman). And Poulter brought the sugar-free energy drinks, which Deao did not approve of.