Four biopics covering every member of The Beatles, under the direction of Sam Mendes, are scheduled to premiere in 2027.
The Beatles remain a touchstone in music history, having cemented themselves as one of the most influential bands to have graced the world’s stage. Its four members—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—made a splash together, but also stood as interesting individuals and artists on their own. It was only a matter of time before their stories would get big screen adaptations, as biopics on legendary musicians like Freddie Mercury and Elton John have gained immense popularity over the years.
Sam Mendes has joined Sony in the making of not one, or two, or even three, but four whole feature films that will give every Beatles member their time to shine. Here’s what to know about the production so far.
Behind the Production
According to Ryan Gajewski of The Hollywood Reporter, there aren’t any writers on the project yet. However, Sony is hoping to begin production in the U.K. by 2025, with a possible theatrical release for all four movies by 2027.
British filmmaker Sam Mendes will be directing all four biopics. His credits include the 1999 classic American Beauty, critically-acclaimed WWI film 1917, and the James Bond movies Skyfall and Spectre starring Daniel Craig.
“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,” explained the director in a press statement, reports Maya Salam of The New York Times.
As for the movies’ source material, writer Bob Spitz had written a best-selling nonfiction book The Beatles in 2005, and is in contact with the film’s team in the hopes of adapting it for the silver screen. Gajewski also points out the challenge of creating biopics on musicians, as gaining music rights can be tricky—especially for artist estates as big as The Beatles or Michael Jackson. That said, it’s not an impossible feat, as Lionsgate’s biopic on the King of Pop (Michael) will premiere in 2025.
Who Are The Fab Four?
There’s currently no official casting for the four films yet, though recently rumors have sparked headlines about possible candidates. Claire Valentine of W Magazine and David Mouriquand of Euronews state that four of today’s rising actors may very well become Hollywood’s Fab Four.
Namely, Paul Mescal (Normal People, Aftersun, All of Us Strangers) as Paul McCartney; Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness, The Iron Claw, Beach Rats) as John Lennon; Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Saltburn, The Banshees of Inisherin) as Ringo Starr; and Charlie Rowe (Rocketman, Never Let Me Go) as George Harrison.
Only time will tell if the casting rumors are true, but what remains certain now is Sony’s plans on creating quite the ambitious theatrical release. According to Salam of The New York Times, the studio teased that they will be releasing the films in an “innovative and groundbreaking” manner, though they didn’t reveal specifics.
“Much of what we struggle with in our business right now is familiarity,” shared Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman with Gajewski of The Hollywood Reporter. “How often do you get an approach that is entirely original?”
Banner photo from the Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division via Wikimedia Commons; feature photo via Wikimedia Commons.
