Director Sam Mendes will take The Beatles to the big screen through four biopics, each centered on a member of the iconic group. This marks the first time The Beatles have provided full life and music rights to film. The two surviving band members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison have granted this permission through Apple Corps., the multimedia corporation founded by the Beatles in 1968.
'I'm 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,' Mendes said in a statement.
The news was also shared through The Beatles' official Instagram page, with many fans sharing their excitement about the upcoming features in the comments.
Formed in Liverpool in 1960, The Beatles quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Largely considered the most influential group in music history, the Fab Four merged different styles of music for their sound and were fundamental in developing the 1960s counterculture. The Beatles parted ways in 1970, but its members continued to pursue music.
Lennon was tragically murdered in 1980, and Harrison passed away in 2001 after battling lung cancer. The group appeared in several films, and their success and partnership have been covered through several documentaries, including Ron Howard's The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years and Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back. Numerous scripted films have also attempted to provide more insight into the group and their dynamic.
Mendes will helm all four features and produce with his Neal Street Productions partner, Pippa Harris, and the banner's Julie Pastor. Jeff Jones will executive produce Apple Corps Ltd. Harris calls the upcoming features an 'epic cinematic experience' that will utilize different perspectives to 'tell a single story about the most celebrated band of all time.' Sony Pictures Entertainment will finance and release the films, which are expected to hit theaters in 2027.
Mendes is an award-winning director best known for his work on films including American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road, and 1917; he's also been at the helm of the James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre. Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman/CEO Tom Rothman praised Mendes' vision for telling the Beatles' story:
'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.'
Biopics are having a major moment - with films like Elvis, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Nyad, The Iron Claw, and Ferrari faring well with critics - and Mendes is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, so hopes will undoubtedly be high for the film quartet.
No cast announcements have yet been made, but opinions about who should play the four musicians have already started to circulate.
