Key Points

Sam Mendes is directing four standalone Beatles biopics, each focusing on a different band member, with Paul Mescal starring as Paul McCartney. The films, set for April 2028, mark the first time the Beatles’ full music catalog has been licensed for a narrative feature. Mendes pitched the project as a theatrical "binge event" to revive cinema attendance. The cast recreated the band’s iconic bow at CinemaCon, where the director called it "the greatest band in history."

Key Points: Paul Mescal Stars in Sam Mendes' Four Beatles Biopics Set for 2028

  • Four films explore each Beatle’s POV from Liverpool to fame
  • Paul Mescal leads as McCartney alongside Quinn, Keoghan, Dickinson
  • First narrative feature with full Beatles song rights
  • Theatrical "binge event" planned for April 2028
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Four biopics on legendary band 'The Beatles' starring Paul Mescal lock April 2028 for release

Sam Mendes directs four standalone Beatles biopics starring Paul Mescal as McCartney, releasing April 2028—the first films with full Beatles music rights.

"We need big cinematic events to get people out of the house – Sam Mendes"

Los Angeles, April 1

Director Sam Mendes is in the process of making four movies based on the legendary rock band ‘The Beatles’.

What’s even more thrilling is that all four of them will be released theatrically in April 2028, reports ‘Variety’.

The filmmaker, who announced the news at CinemaCon, also confirmed the much-speculated casting. Paul Mescal is playing Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn will portray George Harrison, Barry Keoghan will star as Ringo Starr and Harris Dickinson will put his spin on John Lennon.

As per ‘Variety’, the four stars came out on stage and bowed in the style that the band popularized in their heyday.

Sam Mendes promised that the multi-part biopic, officially titled ‘The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event’, will be the “first binge-able theatrical experience”. It’s unclear whether that means the movies will be released all at once or one per week.

“We need big cinematic events to get people out of the house”, the director told theater owners on Monday at Sony’s presentation.

The director, whose credits include ‘American Beauty’ and ‘Skyfall’, had dreamed of bringing the Fab Four to screens for years. But he didn’t want to make a mini-series and he worried that “the story was too huge to fit into a single movie”.

So he came up with a plan to tell the story of “the greatest band in history” from the perspective of each of its members, to try to capture their improbable journey from Liverpool to the center of global culture.

That meant four standalone features and one of the biggest bets in movie history. “It’s a chance to understand them more deeply”, Sam Mendes promised.

The film is also the first narrative feature to be granted music rights to the Beatles’ extensive catalog of hits such as ‘Strawberry Fields’, ‘Let It Be’, ‘I Am the Walrus’, ‘Yellow Submarine’ and others.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

J
Jamie L.
Wow this is ambitious! Four movies at once about The Beatles? I'm cautiously optimistic but worried it might be too much. Paul Mescal as McCartney is inspired casting though! 🎸
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Tara K.
As a lifelong Beatles fan, I'm thrilled they're finally getting proper biopics with full music rights! Though I wish they'd cast actual musicians who could sing the songs live. Still, can't wait for 2028!
M
Marcus P.
Respectfully, this feels like overkill. One great biopic would've been enough. Four films sounds like a cash grab more than an artistic vision. Hope I'm wrong though - Mendes is talented.
S
Sophia R.
Barry Keoghan as Ringo?! That's perfect casting! His energy matches Ringo's so well. I'm already imagining the Abbey Road scenes 🤩
D
Derek W.
The "binge-able theatrical experience" idea is interesting but logistically confusing. Will theaters really show all four back-to-back? That's like 8+ hours of Beatles!
A
Anika T.
Finally someone doing justice to George Harrison's story! He was always overshadowed but had such depth. Quinn better bring his A-game for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" scenes.

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