It’s been over six decades since Beatlemania first swept the globe, redefining the sound of music, and with the help of a female-led fanbase, catapulting the Fab Four into cultural icons.
While the hype never truly went away, there has been a resurgence in attention after British film director Sam Mendes announced who will play each Beatle in the quadrilogy of biopics coming in April 2028. Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan will play John, Paul, George and Ringo, respectively.
Each film will tell the story of the band from a different member’s point of view, featuring some of the most iconic songs in history. Apple Corps., The Beatles long-running multimedia company founded in 1968, signed over full music rights to Mendes, marking the first time a project has been granted access to the band’s entire catalog, according to Sony Pictures.
When these actors were announced at Cinemacon in Las Vegas, the news was unexpectedly met with criticism — and rightfully so.
As a self-proclaimed Beatles buff, I wasn’t happy with the casting choices either. It seems as though Mendes took four partially good-looking, relevant British and Irish dudes and called it a day. Looks aren’t everything — but sometimes, they’re crucial when it comes to portraying such iconic figures.
There’s no doubt in my mind these guys can act, the fact of the matter is that they don’t look like they fit the part. For example, Keoghan was probably a last-ditch effort because his nose is the closest match to Ringo’s without needing to use a prosthetic. As for the rest of them, the makeup department will have to work wonders to make them look remotely close to the real band.
HARRIS DICKINSON
Dickinson, who will play John Lennon, is best known for his breakout role in “Beach Rats,” which earned him a nomination for the best male lead at the Independent Spirit Awards. Since then, he has starred in other films like “Where the Crawdads Sing” as Chase Andrews, the main character’s love interest, and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” as Prince Phillip. Additionally, he played opposite actress Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl,” a 2024 film which received a best picture nomination at the Venecia Film Festival and a top 10 films nomination at the National Board of Reviews (NBR) Awards.
PAUL MESCAL
Mescal as Paul McCartney is most recognized for his leading role as Connell in “Normal People.” For this role, he received a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for best leading actor and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding actor in a limited series or film. On top of those achievements, he received an Oscar nomination for his performance in “Aftersun.”
JOSEPH QUINN
Quinn, the actor for George Harrison gained recognition after starring in the fourth season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” as Eddie Munson, a teenage embodiment of heavy metal culture in the 1980s. He quickly became a fan-favorite as the rebellious, yet caring leader of the Hellfire Club, a Dungeons and Dragons-based society. While most known for this role, he has appeared in other films such as, most recently, “Gladiator II” alongside Mescaland “A Quiet Place: Day One.” He won the MTV Movie and TV Award for breakthrough performance in 2023 as Munson, and the Cinemacon Award for breakthrough performer of the year in 2024. Additionally, he was recently cast as the Human Torch in the 2026 film “Avengers: Doomsday,” the fifth film in the “Avengers” series.
BARRY KEOGHAN
While most of the actors cast as The Beatles aren’t recognizable by many, Keoghan, who will play Ringo Starr has been in the headlines for some time after he and singer Sabrina Carpenter sparked dating rumors in late 2023. The relationship has since ended, but Keoghan’s rise to fame continues, despite the fleeting attention to his personal life. The Irish actor is most known for starring in “Dunkirk,” “Saltburn” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” for which he won a BAFTA Award for best actor in a supporting role, and an Oscar nomination for the same category.
This is a high-stakes project — you can’t make a mockery out of one of the most famous bands of all time.
Time will tell if these actors are up for the challenge, especially when they have the immense pressure of fans all over the world expecting groundbreaking performances.
It’s a “Long and Winding Road” until the films’ release, so we’ll just have to “Let It Be” and “Come Together” in theaters.
Mendes, “Don’t Let (Us) down.”
