Big news for Beatles fans – director Sam Mendes is bringing not one, but four Beatles biopics to cinemas in 2028! And the best part? The cast is packed with all of your favourite Internet boyfriends. Earlier this week at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Mendes revealed that each film will focus on a different member of the Fab Four, telling the band’s iconic story from their unique perspectives. Officially titled The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, the project is being called the “first binge-able theatrical experience.”
To celebrate the big reveal, the actors took the stage and recited lyrics from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band before giving a bow reminiscent of peak Beatlemania. Playing the legendary musicians are Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. Mendes confirmed that his four biopics – each focusing on a different member of the band – will all be released in April 2028.
“We’re not just making one film about The Beatles – we’re making four,” Mendes told the audience. “Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.” Calling them “the most significant band of all time,” Mendes highlighted The Beatles’ lasting cultural impact, saying they “redefined the culture and stayed with you for a lifetime.” The filmmaker revealed that he had been trying to bring a Beatles story to the screen for years but ultimately gave up, believing the story was simply too big for a single film. At the same time, he didn’t want to turn it into a television series. “There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation,” Mendes said, before assuring the audience that this ambitious project will do just that.
Sony Pictures kicked off the annual CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas on Monday by touting not one but four upcoming biopics told from the perspective of each member of The Beatles. The studio confirmed and brought out the long-rumored leads for each film — Paul Mescal as McCartney, Harris Dickinson as Lennon, Joseph Quinn as Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Starr. The casting of these actors is hardly a surprise, as it was reported last year that this upcoming Beatles Cinematic Universe (BCU) had found its stars. However, it was rumoured that Charlie Rowe would play Harrison. In the end, Quinn, best known for his roles in Netflix's hit show Stranger Things, got the part.
On stage, the four actors recited from the band’s song Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: “It’s wonderful to be here, it’s certainly a thrill, you’re such a lovely audience, we’d like to take you home with us.” Director Sam Mendes (known for films like Skyfall and 1917) said all four films will premiere in April 2028, calling it the “first binge-able theatrical experience.” “I’ve been trying to make a story about The Beatles for years,” Mendes said. “We’re not just making one film about the Beatles – we’re making four. Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.”
The Beatles “redefined the culture and stayed with you for a lifetime,” Mendes said, calling them “the most significant band of all time.” The four films will be released “in proximity” to each other, he said, adding: "Frankly, we need big cinematic events to get people out of the house.” They were joined by CEO Tom Rothman, who encouraged movie theater owners to get creative with weekday discounts, while Sony executive Adam Bergerman made the case for keeping films in cinemas for longer.
The convention comes fresh off an Oscars rallying cry for seeing movies in theaters. Hollywood marked the first quarter of 2025 with a sizable box office deficit. Sales are down 11 percent from the same point in 2024, and nearly 40 percent from 2019, according to media analytics company Comscore. Mendes’ project has the blessing of McCartney and Starr, and of the families of John Lennon and George Harrison. It marks the first time they, and rights holders Apple, have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.
Not all of the casting was a surprise: last year, director Ridley Scott accidentally confirmed the rumour that Mescal, his star in Gladiator II, would play one of the Beatles. Later, Mescal diplomatically said that “it would be a dream come true.” And Starr had previously suggested that Keoghan had been cast to play him, saying: “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.”
The Beatles formed in 1960 and changed the course of musical history before breaking up in 1970. As well as their numerous albums and hit singles, they made five features to tie in with seismic albums, beginning with A Hard Day’s Night in 1964 and ending with Let It Be in 1970, all of which were well received, aside from 1967’s Magical Mystery Tour. Dozens of documentaries have been made about the band, as well as about 18 biopics on the big and small screen, of which the most acclaimed are 1994’s Backbeat – which focuses on sometime guitarist Stuart Sutcliffe – and 2009’s Nowhere Boy, about Lennon’s childhood.
The project promises to shed new light on the iconic band, exploring their rise from Liverpool unknowns to global stars. Filming is set to take place over a full year, with Mendes expressing excitement about the opportunity to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies. The anticipation surrounding the project is palpable, with fans eager to see how this innovative approach to storytelling will unfold on the big screen.
