British film director Sam Mendes has announced he will be directing four historic biopics following the lives of each member of The Beatles. Each film will focus on the perspective of the ‘fab four’ throughout the course of their careers. Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Ringo Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison have all granted permission and music rights for the scripted films, which will be made and distributed by Sony Pictures and Neal Street Productions. Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor will also be partnering with Mendes on the project for an expected 2027 release, while Jeff Jones will executive produce for Apple Corps Ltd.
According to a statement obtained by Deadline, the Oscar-winning filmmaker, known for Skyfall and 1917, said he is “honoured to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time“, and that he is “excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies.”
“Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sam Mendes, and Neal Street Productions announced a groundbreaking creative endeavor to tell the story of #TheBeatles with four distinct theatrical feature films.
The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles… pic.twitter.com/b7uqEv1zig
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) February 20, 2024
Harris added: “We intend this to be a uniquely thrilling, and epic cinematic experience: four films, told from four different perspectives which tell a single story about the most celebrated band of all time. To have The Beatles’ and Apple Corps’ blessing to do this is an immense privilege. From our first meeting with Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler, it was clear that they shared both our passion and ambition for this project, and we can’t think of a more perfect home than Sony Pictures.”
Apple Corps Ltd. CEO Jeff Jones shared: “Apple Corps is delighted to collaborate with Sam, Pippa and Julie to explore each Beatle’s unique story and to bring them together in a suitably captivating and innovative way. Sony Pictures’ enthusiastic support, championing the project’s scope and creative vision from the start, has been invaluable for all of us.”
“Theatrical movie events today must be culturally seismic. Sam’s daring, large-scale idea is that and then some. Pairing his premiere filmmaking team, with the music and the stories of four young men who changed the world, will rock audiences all over the globe. We are deeply grateful to all parties and look forward ourselves to breaking some rules with Sam’s uniquely artistic vision.” said Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group.
The iconic Liverpudlian band have been at the centre of a multitude of documentaries and films over the past six decades, but this project marks the first that has acquired full music rights, including scripted storytelling freedoms surrounding the musicians’ lives. 2021’s The Beatles: Get Back showcased a more intimate glimpse into the band’s relationship and songwriting process, allowing audiences to view never-before-seen footage and private conversations between the quartet, a far cry from the camp musical comedy that was 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night.
Meanwhile, the band have already been making headlines the past few months after releasing their emotional final single ‘Now And Then‘ in November 2023, a demo that had once been left in the musical abyss, now brought to the surface after the rediscovery of a lost 1970 John Lennon recording.
More recently, a member of the public has come forward in a wholesome turn of events to reunite McCartney with his most beloved bass guitar, one that was deemed to be of huge importance in The Beatles’ history, having been used to record major moments in their discography, and famously pictured during the group’s rehearsals for their legendary debut performance on CBS’ The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. The woman who claimed to have found the £10million Hofner 500/1 ‘violin’ bass, which was stolen in 1972, returned it to the musician last week more than 50 years later, and is hoping for some form of reward.
Tuesday’s film series announcement has generated an immense amount of online buzz, with Beatles fans now speculating as to who should be cast, throwing Hollywood stars like Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal and Aaron Taylor-Johnson into the ring of discussion. Drummer Ringo Starr broke his silence on the news, taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to comment:
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
