In a cinematic landscape perpetually revisiting familiar icons, few announcements in recent memory have generated the kind of fever-pitch curiosity—and cautious optimism—as the upcoming four-part Beatles biopic directed by Sam Mendes. Known for his emotionally immersive storytelling and visual acuity, Mendes is taking on an ambitious task: not just to tell the story of The Beatles, but to tell four different stories—one for each Beatle, told through their individual points of view.

And now, with the cast revealed and production under way, the world is finally getting a glimpse of the faces who will step into the most mythologized boots in rock history. The casting feels not only daring, but deeply specific—a mix of rising talent, dramatic chops, and uncanny resemblance. Let’s meet the four young actors charged with bringing Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr back to life on screen—and explore the larger creative stakes behind Mendes’ radical take on The Beatles’ mythology.

A Cinematic First: Four Films, Four Beatles, One Story

Before diving into casting, it’s important to understand the unprecedented structure of the project. Rather than telling The Beatles’ story as a single, linear narrative, Sam Mendes has opted to direct four individual feature films, each from the perspective of a different member: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

According to Mendes, the goal is to explore the interpersonal dynamics of the band from contrasting angles, emphasizing how memory, ego, trauma, and artistry can shift perception. The films will intertwine events—think Rashomon meets Love Me Do—but each will follow a different emotional rhythm, reflecting the personalities of the four men who revolutionized popular music and youth culture.

The first film, reportedly centered on John Lennon, will set the tone. Scheduled for a 2027 release, all four parts are expected to roll out in close succession.

John Lennon: Harris Dickinson

Taking on the role of John Lennon is rising British actor Harris Dickinson, best known for his performances in Triangle of Sadness, Beach Rats, and The Iron Claw. With his chameleonic presence and piercing intensity, Dickinson is an inspired choice to play the most polarizing and introspective Beatle.

Lennon’s arc—from working-class Liverpudlian to acid-soaked activist, from rock messiah to weary icon—is riddled with contradiction. Dickinson, who brings both emotional vulnerability and cutting edge to his roles, appears perfectly suited to explore Lennon’s internal conflicts: his early bravado, his intellectual radicalism, his longing for maternal connection, and his eventual disillusionment.

Insiders suggest the Lennon film will delve heavily into his solo years, the trauma of losing his mother Julia, and the tensions with McCartney—offering a prickly, unvarnished Lennon, not the romanticized peace prophet.

Paul McCartney: Paul Mescal

It feels almost too neat: Paul Mescal, the Irish actor with melancholic charisma and indie darling status, playing Paul McCartney, the man often dismissed as the band’s “romantic” but whose musical brilliance remains staggering.

Known for his Emmy-nominated role in Normal People, his acclaimed turns in Aftersun and All of Us Strangers, and his upcoming action debut in Gladiator II, Mescal brings emotional intelligence and physicality to the role of McCartney—a Beatle often seen as the most public-facing, yet arguably the most privately burdened.

Mendes is reportedly interested in reframing McCartney, not as the sentimentalist opposite Lennon’s firebrand, but as a deeply ambitious, emotionally resilient artist. Expect the film to dive into McCartney’s leadership during the band’s later years, his role in Sgt. Pepper, and his internal battles following Lennon’s withdrawal from collaboration.

Mescal’s ability to convey both ache and optimism—often in the same breath—could make this the most surprising installment in the saga.

George Harrison: Barry Keoghan

Of all the Beatles, George Harrison has always remained the most enigmatic. Soft-spoken, spiritually curious, and often overshadowed by the Lennon-McCartney axis, Harrison brought quiet innovation to the group—and a deeply personal spiritual narrative that went largely unexplored.

Enter Barry Keoghan, the Irish actor who has carved out a space in cinema as the king of oddball intensity (The Banshees of Inisherin, Saltburn, American Animals). Casting Keoghan as Harrison is both bold and brilliant: he exudes both aloofness and vulnerability, a perfect match for the Beatle who gave us “Something,” “Within You Without You,” and the slide-guitar soul of All Things Must Pass.

Expect the Harrison chapter to explore themes of ego, faith, frustration, and artistic independence—and perhaps even Harrison’s underappreciated role in pushing The Beatles into more experimental, Eastern-inflected territory.

Keoghan may be the wildcard of the four, but if history tells us anything, Harrison was too.

Ringo Starr: Charlie Rowe

Perhaps the most surprising casting choice is Charlie Rowe as Ringo Starr. While Rowe is lesser-known than his co-stars, Mendes’ track record suggests this will be a breakout role. With credits in Rocketman and Vanity Fair, Rowe brings a natural warmth and expressive charm that could prove essential in portraying the most grounded—and often misunderstood—Beatle.

Ringo’s chapter will likely be tonal counterweight, exploring fame from the outsider’s perspective. Though often the butt of Beatles jokes, Ringo brought rhythmic cohesion and a steady emotional core to a band prone to volatility. His story, from his childhood illness to his rise as one of music’s most recognizable drummers, is ripe for rediscovery.

Rowe’s task will be to infuse Starr with dimension, moving beyond the lovable caricature to show the resilience, humor, and subtle sadness behind the smile.

The Stakes of Biographical Art

With these four actors in place, the Mendes Beatles saga is shaping up to be not just a biopic, but a revisionist mythmaking exercise—and one with unique access. For the first time ever, The Beatles and their estates have granted full cooperation and licensing rights to use the band’s music and life stories.

This makes the Mendes project not only high-profile but historically unparalleled. Unlike Nowhere Boy or Yesterday, these films will weave the Beatles’ actual music, performances, and inner lives into their DNA, aiming for something far more intimate and expansive.

Mendes and the Mythology Machine

Sam Mendes is no stranger to balancing grand scale with intimate psychology. From American Beauty to Skyfall, his films often focus on the fractured interiority of characters struggling under cultural weight. With the Beatles, Mendes faces a new challenge: how to individualize four men whose identities have already been mass-replicated.

The approach—four different perspectives, four scripts, one director—feels like a deliberate answer to the question: Can anyone ever truly understand the Beatles, or can we only glimpse them through fractured mirrors?

If successful, the films won’t just tell the Beatles story. They’ll tell our story of how we see the Beatles, and what each of us needs them to mean.

Impression

As casting photos begin to circulate and scripts quietly take shape, one thing is clear: this is not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. The Mendes Beatles biopic series represents a rare moment in cinema—where myth, music, and identity intersect in a project that aspires to more than re-enactment.

Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, and Charlie Rowe are not merely playing rock stars. They are inhabiting the tension between icon and individual, fiction and memory. They are translating a cultural inheritance into cinematic language—and in doing so, giving us a Beatles story we haven’t yet heard.

 

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