Nobody could ever accuse Sony of going small for the upcoming quartet of The Beatles biopics. The studio remains committed to all-in vibes for four separate movies, and the release plan is even wilder, and although “Tomorrow Never Knows” what will truly come, let’s waltz through those “Strawberry Fields” together on what to expect.
Cast
After months of reports and rumors on who would portray the Fab Four, Sony made the official reveal at CinemaCon in March. From left to right above:
– Paul Mescal (Normal People, Gladiator 2) as Paul McCartney
– Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, A Quiet Place: Day One) as George Harrison
– Barry Keoghan (Saltburn, Masters Of The Air) as Ringo Starr
– Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw, Babygirl) as John Lennon
Meanwhile, Pattie Boyd (ex-wife to the late Harrison) wondered aloud on X/Twitter about who will fill her shoes, “assuming that I get to feature in any of the movies.” Heavy speculation suggests that Aimee Lou Wood could be dropping social media hints on that subject. Again, that’s only a rumor but fuel for thought as the cast continues to “Come Together.”
Of the two still-alive members of the band, Ringo Starr was previously quoted as being fully onboard with Keoghan’s (then-reported) casting. Months ago, he offered a response to Entertainment Tonight: “I think it’s great,” he declared before adding, “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.” That joke was surely intended for those who are critical of Ringo’s own contributions to The Beatles.
During a resurfacing of that discussion in 2017, The Guardian pointed towards the words of Dave Grohl (he remains so hardcore about drumming that he treats the guitar as a kit), who threw his weight behind Starr during his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame presentation: “Define ‘best drummer in the world. Is it someone that’s technically proficient? Or is it someone that sits in the song with their own feel? Ringo was the king of feel.”
Plot
According to a Sony Pictures Entertainment press release, Mendes’ four movies “will intersect to tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history.”
At this year’s CinemaCon, Mendes solidified reports that four separate films will place focus on each individual band member. He also added that “principal photography on the four films will take a year,” according to Variety, which added that Tom Rothman (now the Sony Pictures CEO but previously in charge of production for James Cameron’s most successful sci-fi franchise at Fox) described his own mindset as feeling “‘Avatar’ flashbacks.”
The official logline for the project as a whole is as follows: “Each man has his own story, but together they are legendary.” Mendes has further clarified that this biopic extravaganza will be titled, “The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.” He further promised the “first binge-able theatrical experience,” which could suggest simultaneous releases? That sounds tricky in an age where the box-office is already struggling to sell one movie at a time, let alone four, but let’s keep going.
Release Date
The four films will have, according to Mendes, an April 2028 theatrical rollout.
Trailer
Since cameras will roll for at least a consecutive year for these four biopics, a trailer (or trailers) ’tis now but a dream, but here’s a counterpart for Beatles ’64, which arrived from director David Tedeschi and producer Martin Scorsese late last year on Disney+.
Content shared from uproxx.com.