In 2024, director Sam Mendes joined Sony Pictures to begin working on a project about the Beatles. On March 31, Mendes traveled to CinemaCon in Las Vegas and revealed his cast for four biopics for each Beatle.
Paul McCartney will be played by Paul Mescal, John Lennon by Harris Dickinson, George Harrison by Joseph Quinn and Ringo Starr by Barry Keoghan.
“We’re not just making one film about the Beatles – we’re making four,” Mendes told The Hollywood Reporter. “Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.”
The four films will simultaneously be released in April 2028 as the first “binge-able” theater experience.
Despite the excitement behind the film's release, the casting has had some controversy. Immediately, people recognized how little the cast resembles the real band members. Additionally, all of the actors are already older than the Beatles were when they disbanded in 1970.
Fans also thought that the actors could have been unknown.
“Each star brings their own brand of modern-day hysteria,” Lisa McLoughlin, celebrity correspondent for The Standard, to BBC, said.
The Beatles were heartthrobs in their prime, and all four of the cast leads are today’s equivalent: internet “boyfriends.”
“The Beatles themselves were unknown until they weren’t,” McLoughlin said. “This could have been a chance for a newcomer to have their own Beatles moment - rising from obscurity in real-time.”
McLoughlin also commented on the fact that Mendes could have cast actors from Liverpool to make it more realistic.
Julia Baird, John Lennon’s half-sister, told Screen Rant that the Liverpool identities of the Beatles were essential to their personalities and music. She discussed that the loss of Liverpool actors will lead to a loss of authenticity and credibility.
Fans on TikTok and Twitter have started to recast the movies with their personal favorites, such as Jacob Elordi, who is a common addition to this group. However, this does not address any of the other issues, as he is not from Liverpool and is already a famous actor. While some recasts are more serious than others, it does show Sony and Mendes that fans are not content with the decision.
Additionally, there have been memes created to represent the hate some of the fans have for the cast. Beatles fans have even tried to get non-Beatles fans to understand what is going on so they have more support in their hatred. Some even went as far as to ask if this was an “April Fool’s Joke,” as it was announced the day before.
Keoghan has been getting a lot of slack individually. Immediately, people commented on his ability to deliver a Liverpool accent after attempting a similar English one in “Saltburn.” Before the cast was officially announced, fans voiced their concerns about Scouse's accent, which he had failed to do before.
Despite the backlash, Keoghan’s former co-star Richard E. Grant revealed his support for this casting decision. He brought up the uniqueness of Keoghan.
“He’s an extraordinary actor. He’s unlike anybody else I’ve ever, ever worked with before, so completely untrained, instinctive, and brilliant,” Grant told The News International.
In Nov. 2024, Ringo Starr knew about Keoghan playing him in the biopic. While it may have been a rumor, he reacted very well to the news.
“I think it’s great,” Starr told Entertainment Tonight. “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.” With Starr joking that Keoghan will do a better job at playing himself than he does, fans can see that at least the person Keoghan will be portraying accepted the choice.
As the casting has no reason to change before these four films grace the screen in 2028, fans will either have to disregard the biopics or accept the decision. Whether or not it was the correct one will come with the release of the movie in three years.
