The Beatles are coming to the big screen once more — albeit with a different set of faces attached.
At this year’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes shared the highly anticipated casting announcement for his upcoming set of The Beatles biopics, announcing Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, and Harris Dickinson to play the iconic musical quartet in their respective set of films. Also shared was the news regarding each film’s release date, with all four biopics scheduled to be released in cinemas worldwide on April 2028, coinciding with one another.
“We’re not just making one film about the Beatles — we’re making four,” said Mendes during the panel. “Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.” He also shared that Sony Pictures’ CEO, Tom Rothman, described the upcoming set of films as “the first binge-able theatrical experience.”
Paul Mescal (Gladiator II, Aftersun, Normal People) is set to star as the band’s vocalist, bassist, and pianist Paul McCartney, while Barry Keoghan (Saltburn, The Banshees of Ineshirin, Eternals) will be playing drummer Ringo Starr. Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, A Quiet Place: Day One, Fantastic Four: First Steps) was announced to play lead guitarist George Harrison, whereas Harris Dickinson (Babygirl, Triangle of Sadness, The Iron Claw) will portray co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist John Lennon.
Updates on the film were what closed out Sony Pictures’ presentation at CinemaCon with a surprise moment that left attendees stunned by the news of each film’s release date and eventually by the surprise visits from the four leading actors. After stepping on stage, all four actors recited lyrics from the band’s song “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and took a Beatles-style synchronized bow together.
The Beatles biopics were announced early last 2024, with each film focusing on the unique perspective of each member of the iconic band and sharing an interconnected narrative with the other films in the series. All four movies have been considered the first-ever scripted narrative that holds the proper rights to their lives, as well as their full music catalog for use in the forthcoming series of films.
Since its announcement last year, the surviving members of the group (McCartney and Starr) have given their personal approval for the project, while the families and estates of Harrison and Lennon have also shared the same enthusiasm for the project. Mendes previously expressed his enthusiasm at helming the project, stating, “I’m honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies.”
Just recently, The Beatles’ long-lost Let It Be documentary was released on Disney+ last May 2024, marking its availability to the public after more than 50 years. Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the infamous British documentary was previously released in cinemas fifty years back in 1970 to a mixed reception from fans and critics who described it as “a downer as the final nail in the coffin following the group’s disbandment.” Outtakes for the documentary film were also used in renowned director Peter Jackson’s documentary television series, The Beatles: Get Back, which was awarded the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in 2022.
As we anticipate the release of the four Beatles biopics, listen to The Beatles’ latest single “Now and Then” below: