Beatlemania Revival — The Beatles’ Biopic Casting Revealed

Each man has his own story, but together they are legendary. — Sam Mendes

The cast for Sam Mendes’ Beatles biopics was officially announced at CinemaCon 2025 on March 31st, but first, some background: 

Director Sam Mendes

Set to be premiered in April of 2028, director Sam Mendes is working alongside Sony Pictures to produce four separate biopics telling the life and story of each of the four members of The Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. British director Sam Mendes is best known for his other films 1917 (2019), American Beauty (1999), Skyfall (2012), and Spectre (2015). 

Sam Mendes has been planning this film series for a long time; he quickly realized that their stories were much too large to cram into a mini-series or one single movie. “Each man has his own story, but together they are legendary.” With this in mind, Mendes thought of something a bit bigger: “The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.” The four-part biopic telling the story of each Beatle has each actor starring in not only their own film, but also playing their Beatle in the other three. 

The cast list for the Beatles’ biopics has been revealed: 

Harris Dickinson as John Lennon

English actor Harris Dickinson has been cast to play John Lennon in the biopics. Dickinson first rose to popularity with his role in the drama film Beach Rats (2017) and drama series Trust (2018). Since then, he has gone on to star in many other films including Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019), The King's Man (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), The Iron Claw (2023), and most recently, somewhat controversially, yet popularly, Babygirl (2024). Dickinson’s awards include a Virtuoso Award, two CinEuphoria Awards, and a London Film Critics Circle Award. His award nominations include an Independent Spirit Award, the London Critics Circle Film British/Irish Actor of the Year Award, two BAFTAs, a British Independent Film Award, two INOCA Awards, and numerous other accolades. 

In an interview with Dickinson at the movie premier of his most recent film, Babygirl, he was asked about his thoughts on the rumors that he was playing John Lennon in the biopics. With the cast list not yet official, he answered the question coyly, saying “It would be amazing to do that,” he said, “I think the idea of Sam teaming up to do something like that would be incredibly exciting. Obviously, John Lennon is a very complex role, a pretty formidable force to try to do. It would be cool.” Now that the cast list has been made official, fans are excited to see what Quinn will do with this role, especially knowing his excitement for such a huge and iconic role. 

Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney

Irish actor Paul Mescal has been cast to play Paul McCartney in the biopics. Paul Mescal became largely popular after starring in the series Normal People in 2020. Following his success in the series, he went on to star in The Lost Daughter (2021), God's Creatures (2022), Aftersun (2022), All of Us Strangers (2023), a portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in a 2022 revival of the play A Streetcar Named Desire, and most recently, Gladiator II (2024). Mescal’s awards include two BAFTAs and an Olivier Award, as well as nominations for an Emmy Award, an Academy Award, a European Film Award, and numerous other smaller accolades. 

At the Gladiator II premiere in Los Angeles, Mescal had an interview on the red carpet with Entertainment Tonight. In this interview, he was asked what it would mean to him to play Paul McCartney if the casting rumors were true, to which Mescal replied, “It would be an incredible story to be attached to.” Seeming to be at a loss for words, he went on to explain that with “The fact that Sam Mendes is attached to direct, it would truly be a dream come true.” 

Joseph Quinn as George Harrison

British actor Joseph Quinn has been cast to play George Harrison in the biopics. Quinn is best known for his role as Eddie Munson in the fourth season of Stranger Things (2022), but has starred in many other series and films, including Dickensian (2016), Howards End (2017), Les Misérables (2018), and Catherine the Great (2019). His most recent films, both in the last year (2024), include the horror film A Quiet Place: Day One as well as the historical action movie Gladiator II, where he acted alongside fellow Beatles actor Paul Mescal. Quinn’s film awards include an MTV Movie & TV Award and a CinemaCon Breakthrough Performer of the Year Award, as well as nominations for a Saturn Award, a British Independent Film Award, a Digital Spy Reader Award, and a few smaller awards.

In an interview with Esquire magazine, Quinn shared his thoughts on the potential of playing George Harrison in the Beatles biopics. Quinn’s excitement goes beyond just playing an iconic role, but deeper into the sentimental value that it holds to him. Quinn explained how “My mum was singing Beatles songs when I was at primary school, so if that was to happen, there would be another level of meaningfulness there." This interview makes it clear that his childhood growing up in Liverpool and on the acting scene has made a role like this both exciting and deeply personal. 

Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr

Irish actor Barry Keoghan has been cast to play Ringo Starr in the biopics. Keoghan first began to receive some recognition for his acting in 2017 after he starred in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Yorgos Lanthimos' The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Following the success of his 2017 films, he went on to star in Calm with Horses (2019), the HBO miniseries Chernobyl (2019), The Green Knight (2021), MCU film Eternals (2021), The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), Top Boy (2023), and miniseries Masters of the Air (2024). Despite previous successes, Keoghan gained mainstream popularity after starring in the psychological drama Saltburn (2023). Keoghan’s award wins include a BAFTA Award, an Irish Film & Television Award, a London Film Critics' Circle Award, and a Dublin Film Critics' Circle Award. His nominations include an Academy Award, two BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, two Critics Choice Award, two Screen Actor Guild Awards, and many other awards and accolades. 

Before the cast for the biopics was even confirmed, Ringo Starr himself gave his thoughts on Keoghan playing him. In an interview with British GQ, Starr said, “I think it's great. I believe he's somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.” Starr pokes fun at his drumming abilities, as he was often seen as the least talented Beatle, and was even considered to not be the best drummer in the band. Even though critiques like that can be horrible to hear, Starr doesn’t take them to heart. Starr is seen as the ultimate humorous and self-deprecating celebrity, who instead takes negative judgements as jokes. Keoghan’s acting career has shown a very similar approach to his films, in which he will do just about anything and never takes himself too seriously, (if you saw Saltburn, you know what I mean). Keoghan’s casting as Starr seems to please Starr as he knows that Keoghan is able to truly channel the self-deprecating role of “and Ringo.” 

Fan Reactions

The release of the Beatles’ biopics casting has sparked many mixed reactions from fans. Some fans are excited about the casting, as the actors are all well-recognized for their other roles in films and TV and fans can’t wait to see them take on bigger roles. Fans admit that although the cast may not look identical to the musicians they are portraying, they have the talent and experience to take on such major roles. Unfortunately, the fans who dislike the casting far outnumber those who do. 

The biggest complaint from most fans is the notion that Hollywood has their favorite actors and always casts the same people in major films. Many fans wish to see some underground actors getting a shot at these roles. One fan complained, “Why do they not cast unknown people for biopics to launch new careers like what used to be done? We’re tired of seeing the same actors on our screens.” 

Many complaints have to do with the fact that many fans see no resemblance between the actors and the actual Beatles. One fan expressed, “So they just want to use some hot boys instead of actors that look similar,” while another said, “The only one that looks remotely similar is Barry; everyone else I don’t see it.” Some fans are more blunt in their response, one fan asking “Why are they afraid to cast ugly people?”

Many fans, whether in support of the casting or not, have agreed that only time will tell how these actors will perform these incredible roles. Regardless of how the actors may appear now, once filming begins and they truly enter their character, fans believe a true transformation will occur. Very similar to that of Austin Butler in Elvis or Timothee Chalamet in A Complete Unknown. 

Regardless of your support or disapproval following this major announcement, only time will tell the success of Dickinson, Mescal, Quinn, and Keoghan in their portrayal of the Fab Four.