Writers confirmed for Sam Mendes’ The Beatles biopics
Director Sam Mendes has confirmed the writers who will be joining him to make his upcoming set of biopics on The Beatles.
In March, the Oscar-winning director appeared at the annual CinemaCon event in Las Vegas alongside his chosen cast to portray the Fab Four. Mendes confirmed that Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, Paul Mescal, and Harris Dickinson would play the parts of Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon, respectively.
Now, he’s found his writers for the set of four films, each focusing on The Beatles’ story with a different member as the protagonist. Jez Butterworth, Jack Thorne and Peter Straughan will be on writing duties for the four movies set for release in April 2028.
Each of the three names are accomplished in their own right. Butterworth’s credits include Ford vs Ferrari and Spectre, Straughan is an Academy Award-winner responsible for writing Conclave, and Thorne most recently penned the hit Netflix series Adolescence.
At the CinemaCon event, Mendes previously said of his vision, “We’re not just making one film about The Beatles – we’re making four. Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.”
Mendes then revealed that he had been attempting to construct a film about The Beatles “for years, but I finally gave up,” claiming that the tale of the world’s significant band “was too big for one film.” He continued, “There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation. I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore, and I think we found a way to do that.”
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as the estates of the late George Harrison and John Lennon, have given the movie their full support.
Before it was officially announced, Mescal said of possibly playing McCartney to Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet for Gladiator II: . “It would be an incredible story to be attached to. The fact that Sam Mendes is attached to direct, like truly, it would be a dream come true.”
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