Ladies and gentlemen, ‘The Beatles!’ After months of speculation and fan-casting, the official cast of the highly-anticipated Beatles biopic was confirmed at CinemaCon 2025. Directed by American Beauty‘s Sam Mendes, the “four-film cinematic event” will star Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. As expected, the internet had many thoughts about this announcement – with reactions ranging from optimism to disappointment.
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The Beatles (“Internet Boyfriends” Version)
From the moment award-winning British filmmaker Sam Mendes announced his plan for interconnected biographical films about The Beatles, everyone and their mother seemed to have an opinion on who should nab these coveted roles. The names of almost every 20 to 30-something actor working today were thrown around, with Irish actors Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan popping up the most. But now that the official cast has been announced at Sony Pictures’ presentation during CinemaCon 2025, many are skeptical about the need for already-known faces as well as the accuracy (or lack thereof) of the choices. Another surprising detail from the presentation was Mendes’ intention to release all four films during the month of April in 2028 – although it’s still unclear if the releases will be staggered or all set for one day.
All four young actors have been on a bit of a hot streak recently, with Mescal (‘Gladiator II’), Keoghan (‘Saltburn’), Dickinson (‘Babygirl’), and Quinn (‘Stranger Things’) all being involved in buzzy pop culture moments. In fact, this is the second ‘Fab Four’ that Quinn will be involved with – in addition to his hotly-anticipated role as Johnny Storm in the upcoming ‘Fantastic Four’ movie. Many have bemoaned that these could have been plum roles for unknown actors from Liverpool (where all the band members are from), especially since the subjects are already globally-recognised. On the other hand, others have questioned how much of a box-office draw The Beatles’ name alone actually carries in this day and age – even with their indisputable legendary-status.
A ‘Bingeable’ Cinematic Event?
The reasoning behind making four individual films about each Beatle has been that the collective story of The Beatles is simply too vast for one movie. These biopics will also mark the first time that The Beatles’ record company and surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, have granted full life and music rights for a film(s) project. During the CinemaCon presentation, the plan was ambitiously described as “the first binge-able theatrical experience.” This claim somewhat makes sense in theory, as the movies will be interconnected and released together. Yet, a key aspect of ‘bingeability’ is the fact that viewers don’t have to pay (or wait) for each instalment.
Given the fact that many films have struggled to bring viewers into cinemas, Sony Pictures’ choice to make not just four Beatles biopics, but to also release them practically on top of each other is a massive gamble. There’s still a long and winding road to 2028, and pivotal details that could sway opinions are still to be announced. What time period the films will cover? Who will be cast in important roles like Yoko Ono or Brian Epstein? However, considering that the majority of casual movie-goers don’t want to pay for four individual tickets – regardless of the subject or the cast – this experiment could simply turn into a ‘Which Beatle Is Your Favourite?’ poll set on the grandest scale.
Born in Korea and raised in Hong Kong, Min Ji has combined her degree in anthropology and creative writing with her passion for going on unsolicited tangents as an editor at Friday Club. In between watching an endless amount of movies, she enjoys trying new cocktails and pastas while occasionally snapping a few pictures.
