[Image: Vinyl Records Gallery]
The cast of Sam Mendes’ four upcoming Beatles biopics has been officially announced, with Harris Dickinson playing John Lennon, Paul Mescal playing Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan playing Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn playing George Harrison.
Mendes confirmed that his four biopics, each film focusing on one member of the band, will all come out in April 2028.
Mendes, the Oscar-winning director of films including American Beauty, 1917 and Skyfall, made a surprise appearance on stage with his Fab Four at CinemaCon, an annual industry event for Hollywood, in Las Vegas on Monday night.
“We’re not just making one film about the Beatles – we’re making four,” Mendes said. “Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.”
“There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation. I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that.”
Calling them “the most significant band of all time”, Mendes told audiences that The Beatles “redefined the culture and stayed with you for a lifetime.”
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Mendes admits to trying to make a film about the Beatles “for years, but I finally gave up, the story was too big for one film”. He also mentioned that he didn’t want to make it into another TV series.
The project has received the approval of McCartney and Starr, as well as the families of John Lennon and George Harrison. This marks the first time they, along with rights holder Apple, have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.
The Beatles formed in 1960 and revolutionised the music industry before disbanding in 1970. In addition to their iconic albums and numerous hit singles, they released five feature films to accompany their groundbreaking works, starting with A Hard Day’s Night in 1964 and concluding with Let It Be in 1970. All were well-received, except for Magical Mystery Tour in 1967.
It’s a hell of a responsibility to make a biopic about these four, but please just keep Yoko Ono far away from the project. Here’s hoping they don’t let the Fab Four down.
[Source: Guardian]
