I’m both baffled and awestruck over how Sam Mendes’ The Beatles—A Four-Film Cinematic Event is something that’s actually happening. A massive cinematic bet that could make or break the careers of all involved, the four separate but “intersected” biopics are ambitious. With the members of the iconic group having been cast for some time, we now know who will be playing the women in their lives.
Per the announcement made by Sony Pictures, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Saoirse Ronan, Anna Sawai, and Aimee Lou Wood will be respectively playing the roles of Maureen Starkey, Linda McCartney, Yoko Ono, and Pattie Boyd. Heralding their arrivals was director Sam Mendes, who offered his excitement thusly:
Maureen, Linda, Yoko and Pattie are four fascinating and unique figures in their own right – and I’m thrilled that we’ve managed to persuade four of the most talented women working in film today to join this amazing adventure.
With the interlocking narrative seeking to chronicle the band’s history, as well as the lives of each individual member, The Beatles is already quite intimidating. As this is the first project given “full life story and music rights” for the quartet behind some of the 20th century’s biggest hits, this isn’t ground to be tread lightly.
The casting process has only proven that reality more effectively, as the roster of actors playing The Beatles themselves are just as impressive as their female counterparts. For those of you keeping score, here’s how the main cast of The Beatles—A Four-Film Cinematic Event currently looks:
- Harris Dickinson (John Lennon) & Anna Sawai (Yoko Ono)
- Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr) & Mia McKenna-Bruce (Maureen Starkey)
- Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney) & Saoirse Ronan (Linda McCartney)
- Joseph Quinn (George Harrison) & Aimee Lou Wood (Pattie Boyd)
As for the rest of the cast waiting in the wings, The Beatles – “The announcement of actors portraying Cynthia Lennon, Brian Epstein, George Martin, Ravi Shankar and other key roles will be forthcoming.” This statement was particularly interesting to read, as Deadline reported that House of Guinness star James Norton was being courted to play Epstein earlier this month.
Those of you who know the band’s history can see that The Beatles—A Four-Film Cinematic Event isn’t merely going to focus on one point in time. Rather, these look to be, as promised, truly comprehensive looks into each of the lives that helped change pop culture forever. It’s going to be some time until we can observe the results, as The Beatles won’t take the stage until April 2028 – only in theaters.
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