Beatlemania is back!
Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson and Joseph Quinn are officially confirmed to play members of the iconic band, The Beatles, in a quartet of movies directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes.
Sony Pictures announced the news on Monday, March 31, at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, and shared the first photo of the cast. In the picture, the four stars can all be seen clad in The Beatles’ signature black.
Mescal will play Paul McCartney, Dickinson will play John Lennon, Keoghan is set to play Ringo Starr and Quinn will play George Harrison. (Lennon was murdered at age 40 in 1980, while Harrison died of cancer at age 58 in 2001.)
The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event is set to premiere in theaters in April 2028. All four movies, each based on one of the Beatles, will be released at the same time.
Mescal’s casting as McCartney has long been rumored. Last December, Gladiator II director Ridley Scott said the Irish actor was gearing up to play the iconic musician.
When asked during a December panel event if Mescal will appear in his upcoming movie The Dog Stars, Scott stated: “Yes. Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”
Mescal, 29, for his part, addressed the casting speculation in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in November. “It would be an incredible story to be attached to. The fact that Sam Mendes is attached to direct, like truly, it would be a dream come true,” he told the outlet before shutting down casting confirmation. “No, no, no — we’re not going there.”
Director Sam Mendes has taken on the incredibly ambitious task of making four separate Beatles biopics, one for each member of the band. Mendes, known for American Beauty, Revolutionary Road and the James Bond movie Skyfall, revealed his plans for the films in February 2024. “I’m honored to be telling the story of the greatest […]
Meanwhile, Starr, 84, gave Keoghan, 32, his stamp of approval to portray him in the biopic movies. “I think it’s great. I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many,” he told Entertainment Tonight last November.
Sony Pictures and Mendes announced plans to make four movies about each of the Beatles in February 2024.
Portrait of the The Beatles. From left to right: Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison, circa 1965. Bettmann / Getty Images
“I’m honored 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,” Mendes said at the time.
Mescal is a one-time Best Actor Oscar nominee for his role in Aftersun. Keoghan was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin. Dickinson recently earned critical acclaim opposite Nicole Kidman in Babygirl. Quinn is perhaps best known for his breakout role as Eddie Munson on Stranger Things, but has also starred in Gladiator II, alongside Mescal, A Quiet Place: Day One and will next be seen in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
