There has been no shortage of movies about the Beatles. But the director Sam Mendes is embarking on a project that stands apart for its ambition — four films, each from a different band member’s perspective — and now we know who will be playing the Fab Four.
The films will star Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, according to Mr. Mendes’s production company.
The four films, which will tell the story of one of the world’s most influential and adored bands, will be released together in April 2028, “creating the first bingeable theatrical experience,” the company wrote.
In announcing the films last year, Mr. Mendes, the British director best known for films like “American Beauty” (1999) and “Revolutionary Road” (2008), said he was “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.”
He announced the cast at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas on Monday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While the Beatles have been big-screen subjects before — including in Danny Boyle’s “Yesterday” (2019) and Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “Nowhere Boy” (2009) — this is the first time that the members of the band and their estates have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film, according to Sony Pictures.
Here’s a look at who will be playing the Fab Four:
Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney
Paul Mescal’s profile skyrocketed last summer when the 29-year-old starred in Ridley Scott’s historical epic “Gladiator II.” That followed acclaimed performances in the romantic drama “All of Us Strangers,” and the father-daughter story “Aftersun,” which earned him an Oscar nomination in 2023 for best actor.
But it was his first television role, as Connell in Hulu’s 2020 TV series “Normal People,” that catapulted the Irish actor to fame and turned him into a sex symbol. He is currently starring in as Stanley in “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and will play William Shakespeare in an upcoming movie adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel “Hamnet.”
Harris Dickinson as John Lennon
The British actor Harris Dickinson, 28, broke out in the 2017 independent film “Beach Rats,” in which he played a young man grappling with his sexuality. He later had starring roles in the historical drama “The King’s Man,” the murder mystery “Where the Crawdads Sing,” and the dark comedy “Triangle of Sadness.”
Dickinson’s fame reached new levels with his performance in “Babygirl” in 2024. In the film, he played an intern who becomes entangled in an affair with his married boss, played by Nicole Kidman.
Joseph Quinn as George Harrison
Joseph Quinn, 31, played Eddie Munson in the fourth season of the television series “Stranger Things.” He also starred opposite Lupita Nyong’o last year in “A Quiet Place: Day One,” and appeared alongside Mescal in “Gladiator II.”
The British actor is set to become a familiar face in the Marvel Universe as the Human Torch, a role he will play in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” due out this summer, and in the upcoming films “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr
Barry Keoghan was a scene stealer in his supporting roles in “Dunkirk,” “The Green Knight,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” which earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in 2022.
The Irish actor’s first starring role was in the transgressive “Saltburn” (2023), which became a surprise hit on streaming services last year.
