Sony and director Sam Mendes have just announced plans to produce four unique Beatles biopics, each dedicated to one of the band's iconic members. Here's everything we know so far...
ADVERTISEMENTFollowing in the footsteps of musical icons such as Elvis Presley, Elton John, Bob Marley, and Amy Winehouse, The Beatles are poised to receive the silver screen treatment not just once, but in a Fab Four of movies – one from each band member's perspective.
Leading this insanely ambitious cinematic endeavour is Sir Sam Mendes, the Oscar-winning director behind films like American Beauty, 1917, and two James Bond's, Skyfall and Spectre.
The four films, envisioned by Mendes, are expected to roll out theatrically in an innovative fashion, with the movies potentially coexisting or intersecting in cinemas.
Here's everything we know about the project so far:
Who's behind the project?
The films have been conceived by Mendes and will be distributed by Sony Pictures and Mendes' own Neal Street Productions.
“I’m honoured 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.
No writers or cast have yet been announced.
Do they have the rights?
For the first time, the Beatles, long among the stingiest rights granters, are giving full life and music rights to the movie project.
McCartney, Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison have all signed off on the project through the band's Apple Corps.
Sony Music Publishing controls the rights to the majority of Beatles songs.
What do we know about the actual films?
Well, we know that each film will be from the perspective of a Beatle.
“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,” said producer Pippa Harris.
She adds: "To have The Beatles’ and Apple Corps’ blessing to do this is an immense privilege.”
"The combination of Mendes' team “with the music and the stories of four young men who changed the world, will rock audiences all over the globe,” says Tom Rothman, chair and chief executive of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group.
Have The Beatles appeared on film before?
The Beatles' most famous forays into film were in their early years.
Between 1964 and 1970, they appeared in five movies, including A Hard Day’s Night (1964) and the animated Yellow Submarine (1968).
They’ve, of course, been the subject of many documentaries, most recently Peter Jackson’s 2021 The Beatles: Get Back.
Attempts to dramatise the Beatles’ story have been more sporadic and less impactful.
ADVERTISEMENTA 1979 biopic, made when Lennon was still alive, called The Birth of the Beatles was produced with Beatles original drummer Pete Best as an adviser. The 1994 indie drama Backbeat chronicled Lennon’s relationship with Stuart Sutcliffe before the Beatles were famous. Nowhere Boy (2009) starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a teenage Lennon.
But in the last decade, music biopics have become big business. Box-office hits like Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman and Elvis have sent Hollywood executives chasing the next jukebox blockbuster.
Most recently, Bob Marley: One Love, produced in collaboration with the Marley estate, soared to the top spot as the No. 1 movie in theatres. Meanwhile, Back to Black, a retelling of Amy Winehouse's life, is set for release on 12 April 2024.
When will the films be released?
The four films are expected to roll out theatrically in innovative fashion, with the movies potentially coexisting or intersecting in theatres.
Precise release plans will be announced at a later date but Sony is targeting 2027 for their release.
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