Everything you need to know about The Beatles biopics
The incredible true story behind The Beatles’ rise to fame will be the subject of four upcoming biopics, each told from a different band member’s perspective.
More than 50 years since they went their separate ways, the films will mark the first time that the legendary band has sanctioned the use of their music for a scripted film.
The biopics will each tell the childhoods of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and are thought to intersect at major moments – iconic performances and splits, for example.
From casting rumours to plot details, here is everything we know about the four upcoming films so far.
Who has been cast in The Beatles biopics?
So far, numerous actors have been linked to the project, and while no official announcements have been made, those with knowledge of the biopics have teased who may be playing who.
In November, Ringo Starr seemed to confirm rumours that the Irish actor Barry Keoghan will play him in the films.
“I believe he's somewhere taking drum lessons,” he said on Entertainment Tonight. “I hope not too many.”
Elsewhere, Ridley Scott hinted that Paul Mescal will also have a role in the upcoming films.
During an on-stage conversation with the Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan after a screening of Gladiator II in Los Angeles, Nolan asked Scott whether Mescal will star in Scott’s next project.
“Maybe,” Scott replied. “Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”
Mescal has been rumoured to play McCartney. Elsewhere, the Neverland actor Charlie Rowe has been touted for George Harrison, while Babygirl star Harris Dickinson has been linked to Lennon.
What will be the plot of The Beatles biopics?
While no writer has been announced for the films, it is thought each movie will follow each bandmember from their humble beginnings in Liverpool to the end of their lives (or the present day, when it comes to McCartney and Starr).
The films will likely intersect during major points in the group’s history, such as their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, their press conference at JFK airport, and their rooftop concert in London.
Who will direct The Beatles biopics?
The English director Sam Mendes, who spearheaded James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre as well as Revolutionary Road and American Beauty, has been confirmed to direct all four biopics.
It was the director's prestige as a filmmaker, as well as his charm, which convinced those in charge of The Beatles’ estates to authorise the project.
"It's a testament to his creative brilliance and powers of persuasion that Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sean Lennon, and Olivia Harrison responded with such warmth and enthusiasm as soon as he spoke with them,” producer Pippa Harris told Deadline.
“What is truly exciting is for Sam to have the freedom to delve into the lives of each of the Beatles, with nothing off limits and no sense of the band wanting him to tell a particular 'authorised' version of their rise to success.”
When will The Beatles biopics be released?
Sony Pictures Entertainment are scheduling release of all four films in 2027.
Sony's chief Tom Rothman told The Hollywood Reporter: "You have to match the boldness of the idea with a bold release strategy. There hasn’t been an enterprise like this before, and you can’t think about it in traditional releasing terms.
“Much of what we struggle with in our business right now is familiarity," he says. 'How often do you get an approach that is entirely original?
“It'll be an ambitious undertaking, filming four films at once which all follow a similar release schedule, though we wouldn't expect anything less from the biopics that aim to tell the story of the greatest band in history.”
Are there trailers for The Beatles biopics?
Filming is not scheduled to start until 2025, so it’ll be some time before we have a first look at any of the projects.
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