The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, directed by Sam Mendes.

Harris Dickinson (John Lennon)
Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney)
Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr)
Joseph Quinn (George Harrison)

In theatres April 2028. #TheBeatlesFourFilmCinematicEvent pic.twitter.com/mREL0nPcfC

— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) April 1, 2025

The ensemble cast was presented on stage by Mendes, with a projection of who would be playing who on a screen behind them. Paul Mescal, who recently starred in Gladiator II, will play Paul McCartney, and Joseph Quinn will play George Harrison, as previously reported earlier this year. Barry Keoghan, who shot to fame in 2023’s Saltburn, and later as the partner of Sabrina Carpenter, will play Ringo Starr, and Harris Dickinson will play John Lennon in what is likely to be his biggest role to date.   

These castings won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has taken an interest in the rumours and clues that have come out since the four films were announced in February 2024. DEADLINE reported the lineup back in December, drawing from details and gossip around the four actors. Ridley Scott, Mescal’s director on Gladiator II, accidentally revealed the 29-year old’s involvement in a Q&A, Ringo Starr shared that Keoghan had taken drumming lessons, Dickinson refused to rule out playing Lennon, and Quinn dropped out of Bret Easton Ellis’ Relapse citing scheduling conflicts.

As part of the 2024 announcement, Mendes said he was “excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies,” and his exciting approach to the challenge has received the blessing of McCartney and Starr, as well as the families of Lennon and Harrison.  

The announcement was made at 8pm Las Vegas time, or 4am in the UK, leading some to question whether it was an April Fool’s Day joke. The disbelief surrounds the appearance of the four actors, with critics questioning if they look enough like their real-life counterparts to be convincing. Others noticed the resemblance between the promotional shot of the newly-announced cast, and an image of The Beatles taken at one of their final photoshoots.

First look at ‘THE BEATLES’ cast together.

Liam Gallagher as John Lennon
Paul McCartney (Old) as Paul McCartney
Squeaky as Ringo Starr
Yellow Yoshi as George Harrison pic.twitter.com/7fUA4LIgDR

— marybeth (@60minonacid) April 1, 2025

Discussing the ambitious nature of the project, Mendes said: “Frankly, we need big cinematic events to get people out of the house. There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation, and I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that.” Mendes also used his CinemaCon appearance to elaborate on the release schedule, saying that all four films would be released “in proximity” of each other. 

Often cited as the most influential band of all time, any previous biopics on the group have felt half baked. Mendes’ approach will allow room for each Beatle to be explored, both as musicians and people, and the resulting films will be a treat for audiophiles and cinephiles alike.

Speculation around the casting took a turn back in November with Hollywood gossip reporter Jeff Sneider hinting that Joseph Quinn, best known for his breakout role as Eddie Munson in Stranger Things, is set to play George Harrison. This week, author Bret Easton Ellis revealed on his podcast that Quinn had exited his directorial debut, Relapse, citing scheduling conflicts with Mendes’ films, all but confirming Quinn’s involvement.

According to @DEADLINE, the actors believed to be playing The Beatles in the upcoming Sam Mendes biopics are:

• Harris Dickinson as John Lennon
• Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney
• Joseph Quinn as George Harrison
• Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr pic.twitter.com/j7UCLVsPQu

— The Beatles Earth (@BeatlesEarth) December 13, 2024

If true, Quinn will join a rumoured star-studded lineup. Paul Mescal, fresh off his role in Gladiator 2, is reportedly set to play Paul McCartney, a detail inadvertently let slip by director Ridley Scott during a recent Q&A. Barry Keoghan, who Ringo Starr himself confirmed had started taking drumming lessons, is tipped for the role of Ringo. Meanwhile, Harris Dickinson, who recently starred in Babygirl, has declined to rule himself out of playing John Lennon, calling the opportunity “a pretty formidable force to try to do.”  

First announced in February 2024, Mendes and producer Pippa Harris have promised an “epic cinematic experience” with a unique artistic approach. “Four films, told from four different perspectives, which tell a single story about the most celebrated band of all time,” Harris said in a press release. Mendes added: “I’m honoured 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.”

Make up has their work cut out for them! The guy who will play John Lennon is way too tall. The guy playing Ringo hardly has a nose at all. SMH! — N Russo (@njbd23devnanc) December 14, 2024

The films have the blessing of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison. However, fans are divided on the casting rumours, with some scrutinising the actors’ physical resemblances to their real-life counterparts. One X user wrote: “The guy who will play John Lennon is way too tall. The guy playing Ringo hardly has a nose at all.”

How Mendes plans to balance historical accuracy with artistic storytelling remains unclear. Some fans have expressed a desire to see the band’s complex relationships explored, rather than a straightforward retelling of famous moments like their decision to stop touring or the inspiration behind certain lyrics.

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Given the focus on individual perspectives, there is speculation that each film will reflect the unique personality of its central Beatle. This approach, if confirmed, could set the biopics apart from other music biopics like Rocketman or Bohemian Rhapsody. Instead, inspiration may be taken from the more-stylised Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann.    

While films like Nowhere Boy have touched on aspects of the Beatles’ story, Mendes’ project marks the first true biopic of the band. It follows a recent resurgence of Beatles content, with Disney+ hosting documentaries like Get Back and Beatles ’64. As of now, there’s no confirmation that the new films will land on a streaming platform.

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All four films are expected to release in 2027, leaving fans with plenty of time to debate casting choices, and speculate on storylines and creative approaches. For now, the breadcrumbs of information being dropped by industry insiders have Beatles enthusiasts poring over every detail.

With Joseph Quinn now all but confirmed as the “quiet Beatle,” the Fab Four appear to be set. The spotlight now turns to Mendes, his cast, and his crew to meet the towering expectations of the British public, who recently voted the band “the ultimate British group”, and millions more fans worldwide.

According to a statement obtained by Deadline, the Oscar-winning filmmaker, known for Skyfall and 1917, said he is “honoured to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time“, and that he is “excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies.”

“Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sam Mendes, and Neal Street Productions announced a groundbreaking creative endeavor to tell the story of #TheBeatles with four distinct theatrical feature films.

The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles… pic.twitter.com/b7uqEv1zig

— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) February 20, 2024

Harris added: “We intend this to be a uniquely thrilling, and epic cinematic experience: four films, told from four different perspectives which tell a single story about the most celebrated band of all time. To have The Beatles’ and Apple Corps’ blessing to do this is an immense privilege. From our first meeting with Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler, it was clear that they shared both our passion and ambition for this project, and we can’t think of a more perfect home than Sony Pictures.”

Apple Corps Ltd. CEO Jeff Jones shared: “Apple Corps is delighted to collaborate with Sam, Pippa and Julie to explore each Beatle’s unique story and to bring them together in a suitably captivating and innovative way. Sony Pictures’ enthusiastic support, championing the project’s scope and creative vision from the start, has been invaluable for all of us.”

“Theatrical movie events today must be culturally seismic. Sam’s daring, large-scale idea is that and then some. Pairing his premiere filmmaking team, with the music and the stories of four young men who changed the world, will rock audiences all over the globe. We are deeply grateful to all parties and look forward ourselves to breaking some rules with Sam’s uniquely artistic vision.” said Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group.

The iconic Liverpudlian band have been at the centre of a multitude of documentaries and films over the past six decades, but this project marks the first that has acquired full music rights, including scripted storytelling freedoms surrounding the musicians’ lives. 2021’s The Beatles: Get Back showcased a more intimate glimpse into the band’s relationship and songwriting process, allowing audiences to view never-before-seen footage and private conversations between the quartet, a far cry from the camp musical comedy that was 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night.

Meanwhile, the band have already been making headlines the past few months after releasing their emotional final single ‘Now And Then‘ in November 2023, a demo that had once been left in the musical abyss, now brought to the surface after the rediscovery of a lost 1970 John Lennon recording. 

More recently, a member of the public has come forward in a wholesome turn of events to reunite McCartney with his most beloved bass guitar, one that was deemed to be of huge importance in The Beatles’ history, having been used to record major moments in their discography, and famously pictured during the group’s rehearsals for their legendary debut performance on CBS’ The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. The woman who claimed to have found the £10million Hofner 500/1 ‘violin’ bass, which was stolen in 1972, returned it to the musician last week more than 50 years later, and is hoping for some form of reward.

Tuesday’s film series announcement has generated an immense amount of online buzz, with Beatles fans now speculating as to who should be cast, throwing Hollywood stars like Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal and Aaron Taylor-Johnson into the ring of discussion. Drummer Ringo Starr broke his silence on the news, taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to comment:

Have you heard the news? Oh boy. We all support the Sam Mendes movie project. Yes, indeed. peace and love. pic.twitter.com/byhnmVqsHY — #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) February 20, 2024