How The Beatles Finally Opened the Vault: Exclusive Life-Story and Music Rights for the First Time

Fans of The Beatles were left buzzing after Sony Pictures Entertainment confirmed production of a four-part biopic about each of the band's members in 2024.

The films are slated for an April 2028 release and are reported to mark the first time the surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with the families of John Lennon and George Harrison, have granted permission for the use of the band's complete music catalogue and life stories in a scripted feature.

How The Project Became A Reality

The ambitious film series, which tells the band's story from each member's unique point of view, was pitched by director Sam Mendes.

He shared details of how the project was greenlit by Sony Pictures with Deadline, which first broke the news in February 2024.

'We went out to L.A. just before Christmas to pitch the project, and it's fair to say we were met with universal enthusiasm. The reason Sony stood out from competing offers was down to Tom (Rothman) and Elizabeth's (Gabler) passion for the idea and commitment to propelling these films theatrically in an innovative and exciting way,' Mendes said.

Mendes will direct all four films and co-produce them alongside his Neal Street Productions partner Pippa Harris, with Jeff Jones representing the band's company Apple Corps Ltd.

Harris praised her business partner's creative vision, saying Mendes' project 'is a testament to his creative brilliance and powers of persuasion' that McCartney, Starr, Sean Lennon and Olivia Harrison gave their full support.

Starr even took to social media to share his excitement with a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing: 'Have you heard the news? Oh boy. We all support the Sam Mendes movie project. Yes, indeed. Peace and love.'

The Cast

At CinemaCon 2025, the leads portraying each Beatles member were officially announced. Harris Dickinson (Babygirl, Triangle of Sadness) will play John Lennon, Paul Mescal (Aftersun, All Of Us Strangers) will portray Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, Fantastic Four: First Steps) takes on George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan (Saltburn, The Banshees of Inisherin) will star as Ringo Starr.

A major casting update was revealed on Halloween, confirming the four actresses who will play the Fab Four's spouses.

Saoirse Ronan (Little Women, Lady Bird) will play McCartney's first wife Linda, while Aimee Lou-Wood (The White Lotus) portrays Harrison's first wife Pattie Boyd. Anna Sawai (Shōgun) will take on the role of Lennon's wife Yoko Ono, and Mia McKenna-Bruce will play Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey.

'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,' Mendes told Deadline.

Meanwhile, James Norton (Rogue Agent) has been cast as the Beatles' longtime manager Brian Epstein.

The Director

Sam Mendes is an acclaimed British director, producer and screenwriter whose filmography includes the Oscar-nominated Empire Of Light and the World War I epic 1917.

He also directed two James Bond blockbusters: Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015).

The four-part Beatles biopic is now considered one of the most anticipated cinematic events of the decade, promising an unprecedented look into the lives of the world's most famous band.