The Beatles: George (2028)

The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event is an upcoming series of four biographical films based on the lives and career of the Beatles. Each film is being directed by Sam Mendes and written by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne. Produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Neal Street Productions, and Apple Corps, all four films are to be released simultaneously on April 7, 2028. Each one is set to be told from the perspective of one band member: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, who will be played by Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, and Barry Keoghan, respectively.

Mendes had conceived the idea of films about the Beatles in 2022. Beginning in late 2023, he discussed the plans with Sony Pictures, and convinced each of the band members and the estates. By February 2024, Sony Pictures and Neal Street Productions finished a deal to produce four distinct films. By March 2025, Dickinson, Mescal, Quinn, and Keoghan were confirmed to play the main roles. Production had begun by November 2025, with further casting announced in February 2026.

Cast

Production

Development

By late 2023, director Sam Mendes began discussing plans to make films regarding the English rock band, the Beatles, with Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). He had met with SPE's Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler, and stated that he had chosen SPE due to "Tom and Elizabeth's passion for the idea and commitment to propelling these films theatrically in an innovative and exciting way." Mendes had conceived of the idea in 2022 and convinced the estates of each of the band members. By February 2024, SPE and Mendes's production company Neal Street Productions finished a deal to produce four distinct films, one for each band member: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Mendes was set to direct each film alongside Neal Street Productions partner Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor, while Jeff Jones will executive produce for Apple Corps Limited. The estates and families of each band member also granted full life story and musical rights for the films, while Mendes was granted creative freedom.

In March 2025, at an industry convention CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Rothman described the quadruple premiere as "the first bingeable theatrical experience." The official tagline for the films is: "Each man has his own story, but together they are legendary."

Writing

In May 2025, it was announced that Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne would co-write the screenplays for all four movies. Starr and Mendes discussed the films for two days. There, Starr read the entire script for his film and offered Mendes extensive feedback, especially with scenes involving him, his family, and his first wife Maureen Starkey.

Casting

In June 2024, Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, and Charlie Rowe were in contention to play the members. Keoghan as Starr was confirmed in November 2024. Mescal was confirmed as McCartney in December with Joseph Quinn cast as Harrison. Anna Sawai was rumored to have been cast as Yoko Ono, but Sawai would dispute this in February 2025. At CinemaCon in March 2025, Dickinson as Lennon and Quinn as Harrison were confirmed, with the pair appearing on stage alongside Mendes, Mescal as McCartney, and Keoghan as Starr.

In October 2025, it was announced that Saoirse Ronan would play Linda McCartney, while Mia McKenna-Bruce was cast as Maureen Starkey. Sawai would additionally be officially confirmed as being in discussions the role of Ono, with Aimee Lou Wood in negotiations to portray Pattie Boyd. Meanwhile, James Norton was cast as Brian Epstein. The castings of McKenna-Bruce, Ronan, Sawai and Wood would be officially confirmed at the end of October. In November 2025, Harry Lloyd joined the cast. In December, David Morrissey, Leanne Best, Bobby Schofield, Daniel Hoffman-Gill, Arthur Darvill and Adam Pally were added to the cast. Lucy Boynton, Farhan Akhtar, Morfydd Clark, and Harry Lawtey would be cast in February 2026. In June 2026, Ben Schwartz joined the cast.

In preparation for her role as Yoko Ono, Anna Sawai has been consuming media related to and produced by the artist. She hoped that the films will help clear up public misconceptions and share Yoko’s perspective. Sawai enthused about Dickinson, Mescal, Quinn, and Keoghan's “surreal” musical harmony during their rehearsals.

Filming

Production was set to begin by mid-2025, with the intention of shooting all the films back-to-back. In March 2025, Mendes said that it would take him more than a year to shoot all four movies.

Filming had begun by November 2025. It was reported that the production was not granted permission to film at the Abbey Road location over concerns regarding closing the road. Starr also visited the film set. In January 2026, Mescal stated production was still "a while away from finishing" and that he would be doing his own singing in the film, with filming to be "my job for all of 2026". Scenes recreating the band arriving in New York City for The Ed Sullivan Show were filmed in London in February. Mescal and Keoghan also filmed scenes in Liverpool that March. Between May and June filming with Mescal, Keoghan, Quinn and Dickinson occurred in Barcelona and Salou, Spain. Mescal and Keoghan were also spotted filming scenes on a yacht recreating a 1964 vacation taken by McCartney and Starr that month. In August, filming occurred at Abbey Road for a scene featuring over 80 extras and vintage vehicles. On August 16, 2026, Mescal, Keoghan, Quinn, and Dickinson were filmed recreating the iconic cover of the Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road at the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios.

The crew for the films consists of cinematographer Greig Fraser, editor Lee Smith, production designers Stefania Cella, Mark Tildesley and Neal Callow, and costume designer Sinéad Kidao.

Marketing

In January 2026, Sony Pictures released first images of each main actor in character, on postcards distributed at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, as well as other iconic Beatles locations including Lennon's childhood home; The Beatles Statue, and The Cavern Club in Liverpool; the Kaiserkeller, and the Star-Club in Hamburg; Strawberry Fields in Central Park; and at various record stores, shops, cafes and bars in Tokyo. The following day, Sony Pictures released the same pictures digitally. On August 19, 2026, Apple Corps and Universal Music Group announced a new long-term global partnership covering the Beatles' physical and digital merchandising, licensing and e-commerce. The agreement was announced ahead of the planned 2027 opening of The Beatles at 3 Savile Row fan experience and the 2028 release of the four films. Tom Greene, CEO of Apple Corps, said that there had "never been a more exciting time to work on The Beatles" as the company looked ahead to the fan experience and the biopic films. Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said the partnership would help protect and grow the Beatles' legacy through "authentic fan experiences", while Dickon Stainer, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group UK, said the agreement would help introduce audiences worldwide to the band's "unique genius".

Release

The films, an untitled John Lennon film, an untitled Paul McCartney film, an untitled George Harrison film, and an untitled Ringo Starr film, were initially expected to be released in 2027, but were later confirmed to be scheduled for simultaneous release on April 7, 2028, described as the "first bingeable theatrical experience."

In July 2026, Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman cited that the four films have the potential to be a "big theatrical bet" as the box office is "roaring" while he feels that the audience want diverse, new programming after how the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes negatively affected movie business, so he hopes that people can remember what fun is with something that feels special now that everyone wants to make everything into an event, just like the Beatles who are international and may get the audience to not stay at home in "another Friday night".

Comments on simultaneous premieres

Industry critics analyzed Sony's planned simultaneous release of all four Beatles biopics. In February 2026, Screen Rant noted the challenge of convincing audiences to buy four tickets in one go, especially since the film focused on Starr may draw less interest than those about Lennon or McCartney, potentially feeling like mandatory homework. The website also highlighted easier, cheaper unified marketing, a lower overall break-even point if just one or two of the films succeed, quadrupled chances for word-of-mouth hits, and the excitement of an unprecedented experiment.

See also

Outline of the Beatles

The Beatles timeline

The Beatles in popular culture

Hamburg Days – upcoming British television drama series about the Beatles' early career

References

External links

The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event on Instagram

The Beatles on Neal Street Productions website

Initial press release by Sony Pictures (February 20, 2024)