The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event

Development

By late 2023, director Sam Mendes began discussing plans to make films regarding the English rock band, the Beatles, with Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). He had met with SPE's Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler, and stated that he had chosen SPE due to "Tom and Elizabeth's passion for the idea and commitment to propelling these films theatrically in an innovative and exciting way." Mendes had conceived of the idea in 2022 and convinced the estates of each of the band members. By February 2024, SPE and Mendes's production company Neal Street Productions finished a deal to produce four distinct films, or one for each band member: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.^[7] Mendes was set to direct each film alongside Neal Street Productions partner Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor, while Jeff Jones will executive produce for Apple Corps Limited.^[8] The estates and families of each band member also granted full life story and musical rights for the films, while Mendes was granted creative freedom.^[7][9]

Bob Spitz, who wrote The Beatles: The Biography (2005), was collaborating with the filmmaker, and expected his book and interviews to help influence the script.^[10] In March 2025, at an industry convention CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Rothman described the quadruple premiere as "the first bingeable theatrical experience."^[5] The official tagline for the films is: "Each man has his own story, but together they are legendary."^[1] In May 2025, it was announced that Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne would co-write the screenplays for all four movies.^[11]

Casting

Main cast of the series

Harris Dickinson (John Lennon)

Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney)

Joseph Quinn (George Harrison)

Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr)

Anna Sawai (Yoko Ono)

Saoirse Ronan (Linda McCartney)

Aimee Lou Wood (Pattie Boyd)

Mia McKenna-Bruce (Maureen Starkey)

The actors playing the title roles, along with their respective partners

In June 2024, Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, and Charlie Rowe were in contention to play the members.^[12] Keoghan as Starr was confirmed in November 2024.^[13] Mescal was confirmed as McCartney in December with Joseph Quinn cast as Harrison.^[14][15] Anna Sawai was rumored to have been cast as Yoko Ono, but Sawai would dispute this in February 2025.^[16] At CinemaCon in March 2025, Dickinson as Lennon and Quinn as Harrison were confirmed, with the pair appearing on stage alongside Mendes, Mescal as McCartney, and Keoghan as Starr.^[17]

In October 2025, it was announced that Saoirse Ronan would play Linda McCartney,^[18] while Mia McKenna-Bruce was cast as Maureen Starkey.^[19] Sawai would additionally be officially confirmed as being in discussions the role of Ono, with Aimee Lou Wood in negotiations to portray Pattie Boyd.^[20] Meanwhile, James Norton was cast as Brian Epstein.^[21] The castings of McKenna-Bruce, Ronan, Sawai and Wood would be officially confirmed at the end of October.^[22] In November 2025, Harry Lloyd joined the cast.^[23] In December, David Morrissey, Leanne Best, Bobby Schofield, Daniel Hoffman-Gill, Arthur Darvill and Adam Pally were added to the cast.^[24] Lucy Boynton, Farhan Akhtar, Morfydd Clark, and Harry Lawtey would be cast in February 2026.^[25]

In preparation for her role as Yoko Ono, Anna Sawai has been consuming media related to and produced by the artist. She hoped that the films will help clear up public misconceptions and share Yoko’s perspective. Sawai enthused about Mescal, Dickinson, Keoghan, and Quinn’s “surreal” musical harmony during their rehearsals.^[26]

Filming

Production was set to begin by mid-2025, with the intention of shooting all the films back-to-back. In March 2025, Mendes said that it would take him more than a year to shoot all four movies.^[1]

Filming had begun by November 2025. It was reported that the production was not granted permission to film at the Abbey Road location over concerns regarding closing the road.^[27] In January 2026, Mescal stated production was still "a while away from finishing", with filming to be "my job for all of 2026".^[28] Scenes recreating the band arriving in New York City for The Ed Sullivan Show were filmed in London in February.^[29]

The crews for the films will consist of cinematographer Greig Fraser, editor Lee Smith, production designers Stefania Cella, Mark Tildesley and Neal Callow, and costume designer Sinéad Kidao.^[30]

Comments on the release

Industry critics analyzed Sony's planned simultaneous release of all four Beatles biopics. In February 2026, Screen Rant noted the challenge of convincing audiences to buy four tickets in one go, especially since the film focused on Starr may draw less interest than those about Lennon or McCartney, potentially feeling like mandatory homework. The website also highlighted easier, cheaper unified marketing, a lower overall break-even point if just one or two of the films succeed, quadrupled chances for word-of-mouth hits, and the excitement of an unprecedented experiment.^[3]