Everything we know about four The Beatles biopics from director Sam Mendes
John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr in 1963. Bettmann/Getty Images
“No Time To Die” director Sam Mendes is working on four biopics about The Beatles.
Each movie will be from the perspective of a different member of the iconic British band.
Here’s everything we know about The Beatles movies.
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“No Time To Die” director Sam Mendes is working on four biopics about The Beatles.
Mendes, who’s also known for Oscar-winning films including “American Beauty,” “Skyfall,” and “1917,” has partnered with Sony to work on the ambitious slate of movies about the iconic British band.
In a press release announcing the news, Sony Pictures CEO Tim Rothman said: “Sam’s daring, large-scale idea is that and then some.”
Here’s everything we know about the four movies about The Beatles.
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Each movie will focus on a different member of The Beatles
The Beatles: (left to right) Paul McCartney; George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon arriving at Heathrow Airport in 1964. Bettmann/Getty Images
According to the press release, each movie will be from the perspective of a different member of the band, meaning Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr will each have their own biopic.
It’s the first time that the band’s company, Apple Corps Ltd., has given permission for the group’s life story and music to be used in a scripted film about them.
Since 1979, 18 unauthorized biopics have been made about the band including 2009’s “Knowhere Boy” starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Lennon and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as McCartney.
The release also says that the four movies “will intersect to tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history.” Yes, Mendes is effectively giving audiences The Beatles Cinematic Universe, so get those “Avengers” jokes out of the way now.
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Sam Mendes will have ‘no limits’ telling The Beatles’ story
Sam Mendes at “The Hills Of California” press night at Sophie’s Soho in London. Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
In an interview with Deadline published on Tuesday, Pippa Harris, who will produce the films, said the band’s surviving members, McCartney and Starr, have given their blessing for Mendes to work on the four films.
“It’s a testament to his creative brilliance and powers of persuasion that Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sean Lennon, and Olivia Harrison responded with such warmth and enthusiasm as soon as he spoke with them,” she said, referring to John Lennon’s son and George Harrison’s widow.
Harris went on to say that Mendes will have no restrictions on what he depicts from the band members’ lives.
She said: “What is truly exciting is for Sam to have the freedom to delve into the lives of each of the Beatles, with nothing off limits and no sense of the band wanting him to tell a particular ‘authorised’ version of their rise to success.”
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Starr also gave his blessing on Tuesday via a post on X.
Have you heard the news? Oh boy. We all support the Sam Mendes movie project. Yes, indeed. peace and love.😎🎶🌈✌️🌟❤️☮️ pic.twitter.com/byhnmVqsHY
— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) February 20, 2024
Nobody has been cast yet, but The Beatles movies should be released in 2027
The Beatles photographed in 1966. Clockwise from top left: Paul MacCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Roger Viollet Collection/Getty Images
Mendes is currently the only big name attached to all four movies as director, and no actors have been cast as Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, or Starr as of yet.
Per the press release, Sony is looking to release all four movies about The Beatles in 2027, which gives Mendes plenty of time to find the right people to play the Liverpudlian superstars.
