On Feb. 20, Sony Pictures announced their collaboration with Sam Mendes and Neal Street Productions in a new project, creating four new movies based on The Beatles with one film for each member, all coming out in 2027. Business Insider reports that all four movies “will intersect to tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history.” The movies will all be directed by Sam Mendes (“1917,” “American Beauty”) and produced by Pippa Harris (“1917,” “Away We Go”).
Mendes commented on the project, stating, “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,” in his Sony Pictures statement. This project is the first scripted film about The Beatles to be granted full permission of the band’s life story and music rights, as given by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison.
Ringo Starr tweeted, “Have you heard the news? Oh boy. We all support the Sam Mendes movie project. Yes, indeed. Peace and love,” showing his support and love for the approved project. Mendes also states that he was granted “no restrictions” on all four of these films, being able to tell the true and authentic stoires of the Fab Four.
The Beatles and their music have been involved with many movies in past years, including “Yesterday (2019),” “Across the Universe (2007),” and “Nowhere Boy (2009).” The Beatles have also starred in their own movies such as “A Hard Day’s Night (1964)” and “Help! (1965).” But these new Mendes films will be the first of its kind to feature one movie per each member of the band.
It has not been uncommon in recent years for musical icons to mix with film. Biopics have been coming out in mass, including films about Elton John [“Rocketman (2019)”], Elvis [“Elvis (2022)”], Bob Marley [“Bob Marley: One Love (2024)”], and the newest addition to the collection, Amy Winehouse [“Back to Black (2024)”].
Fans all around the internet have been discussing these movies and making predictions about the logistics of the films. So, I decided to ask a few of my Beatle-loving friends three questions about the film: Who do you want/predict to portray each Beatle, do you think all four movies will be released the same day or will the dates vary, and if they all come out the same day, which movie are you going to see first?
When thinking of who one would want to portray the infamous Beatles, one fan requested Ty Burrell to portray Ringo Starr while another wished for Paul Mescal to portray John Lennon. In contrast, one fan stated, “If they’re looking for commercial success, they’ll cast known actors. If they’re going for artistic excellence, they’ll search for newcomers.”
In agreement, another fan said, “They all have such specific faces,” making it hard for casting directors to decide whether or not to cast on looks over talent. It would be refreshing to place The Beatles on new faces, creating characters we can immediately connect with the respected members.
Will all four movies be released on the same day? One fan predicted, “I think that they will not all come out on the same day for box office reasons [to be able to make] the most money possible.”
Another fan said, “I think they will not come out all at same time. I think maybe a week apart each.”
“It would be cool if all four Beatles movies came out simultaneously, but I feel like that wouldn’t be the most realistic way to go about it,” predicted another.
If all four of these movies were to come out the same day, one fan explained that they are “without a doubt… seeing Ringo first” while another fan said, “I’d definitely go see George’s first because he’s always been my favorite.”
“If they were all to release the same day, I would go see Paul’s movie first. He was always my favorite Beatle and I am a huge fan of his songwriting and solo work,” explained another.
The Beatles are musical icons whose legacies will be talked about forever. However these movies turn out, fans can only hope that Sam Mendes will tell the true, authentic stories of these four men. These movies will be the first of its kind, and people cannot wait to see them.
