The Beatles are back—at least on screen. Director Sam Mendes is creating four films about the legendary British group, in association with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Mendes’s Neal Street Productions. After Deadline first broke the news in February 2024, Ringo Starr tweeted that the films were fully supported by himself and the families of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison. This is the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a scripted film expansive life story and music rights, making this a major feat.
Here’s what we know about the movies, officially titled The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, so far. Who will play the Beatles? After much speculation, Sony Pictures confirmed the lead cast of the biopics during CinemaCon 2025: Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. The group rang in the news onstage at the Las Vegas event on March 31, 2025.
The official announcement came after months of rumors and reports of the possible cast for this highly anticipated project. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ringo Starr seemed to confirm that Keoghan had been cast as his youthful doppelgänger. When asked about the actor possibly being a match, Starr replied, “Well, I think he’s great, and I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons.” He added that he hopes Keoghan doesn’t take “too many lessons” so he could find his personal groove.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Ridley Scott reportedly hinted that Paul Mescal was cast for the role of Paul McCartney during a Directors Guild of America event on Dec. 10, 2024. While also addressing Mescal’s potential involvement in his upcoming project The Dog Stars, Scott noted, “Yes. Well, maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go,” suggesting Mescal’s role in the biopic series. Mescal even addressed the speculation in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, calling the possible opportunity “a dream come true,” but did not confirm any involvement at the time.
In December 2024, Deadline reported that Stranger Things’s Joseph Quinn was likely signed on to play George Harrison, adding that he was seen carrying a guitar on set while filming the new Fantastic Four film. When will the films be released? Sony confirmed all four films (one from each band member’s perspective) will open in theaters in April 2028. Mendes described the tandem releases as a unique “bingeable moment in cinema,” according to Deadline. He added that it would take more than a year to shoot all four films.
Filming in London is scheduled for July 2025, according to Production List, but Sony has yet to confirm. It’s still unclear in which order the films will be released. What are The Beatles movies about? Sony’s official logline teases: “Each man has his own story, but together they are legendary.” Mendes hasn’t been too specific about the plot—the details of the band’s life and history together are pretty well-covered in myriad movies and documentaries anyway, so it is really a matter of style over substance.
The Oscar-winning director previously indicated that the films will be interwoven and include one band member’s point of view per movie. The director explained at CinemaCon, “I had been trying to do a film for years, but I finally gave up,” feeling that the “story was too big for one film.” He also didn’t think a TV series was the right fit. “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,” he said, per Deadline.
Mendes is directing all four films and producing with Pippa Harris, Julie Pastor, and Alexandra Derbyshire. Ringo Starr recently told PEOPLE he was “excited to see what [Mendes] does with” the “madness of making four movies at the same time … There’ll be Beatles in mine around when I joined, and there’ll be Beatles in Paul’s. We’ll all be there.”
The film is also the first narrative feature to be granted music rights to the Beatles’ extensive catalogue, and has been given its blessing by the surviving members of the group. 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.”
As anticipation builds for this unprecedented cinematic venture, fans are eager to see how Mendes will weave together the individual narratives of each Beatle, creating a tapestry that not only honors their legacy but also brings fresh insights into their lives and music. The four films promise to explore the deeper connections and experiences of the band members, offering a unique perspective that has yet to be fully realized on screen.
In a world where biopics are often confined to a single narrative, Mendes’s approach to present each Beatle's story in separate films is groundbreaking. The idea of releasing all four films within a month adds an exciting twist that could redefine the movie-going experience, making it a collective event for fans old and new.
As the release date approaches, the excitement is palpable. Mendes’s vision, combined with the support of the surviving Beatles, sets the stage for a cinematic experience that could be as revolutionary as the band itself. With each film focusing on the individual perspectives of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, audiences can expect a rich and layered exploration of the music that changed the world.
This story will be updated as new details emerge about the films. Fans and critics alike are watching closely, eager to see how Mendes captures the essence of The Beatles in a way that resonates with both long-time followers and a new generation discovering their music.
