Sony Pictures has unveiled the first official look at its ambitious project The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event, and fans are already doing double takes—especially when it comes to Paul Mescal’s striking transformation into a young Paul McCartney.
On Friday, the studio released images of Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan, and Harris Dickinson portraying McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon, respectively, ahead of the films’ planned April 2028 release. Directed by Sam Mendes, the project will consist of four interconnected biopics, each told from the perspective of a different Beatle.
You can view the sneak preview below:
The casting was first announced last year and formally confirmed during CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Mescal and Dickinson are both 29, Keoghan is 33, and Quinn is 32—an ensemble fans have closely scrutinized for physical accuracy given how instantly recognizable the Fab Four remain.
At CinemaCon, Mendes, 60, described the undertaking as “The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event” and called it the “first singable theatrical experience,” adding that production would take roughly one year.
The newly released images sparked immediate attention online, particularly Mescal’s resemblance to McCartney. The Hamnet star appears doe-eyed and youthful in what appears to be the Cavern Club, the Liverpool venue where the Beatles famously honed their early sound.
Mescal spoke with Rolling Stone about meeting Paul McCartney and preparing for the role:
“I’ve met him a couple of times. I adore him. I think he changed the world.”
Mescal has spoken openly about rehearsing for the role, describing his immersion in the project as unexpectedly grounding.
He also discussed the rhythm of working on the biopics:
“It’s a version of a weird 9-to-5, and I thought I would hate that, and I actually am loving that. I do like structure a lot. I like a plan. I like rehearsals.”
He will also be doing his own singing in the films and has committed to playing guitar left-handed, as McCartney does.
Mescal talked about adapting his musicianship to match McCartney:
“It would just be crazy to not play it left-handed, you know? You’re like, ‘Nah. I like [McCartney] a lot, but I don’t love him.’ That would be the messaging if I didn’t play left-handed. And he’s the f*cking coolest man on planet Earth, I think.”
The other images draw inspiration from the Beatles’ later years. Keoghan channels Ringo Starr with a mop top, mustache, and polka-dotted shirt reminiscent of the Let It Be era. Dickinson appears mid-whistle at a microphone, sporting Lennon’s wire-frame glasses and shaggy hair, while Quinn’s Harrison wears a stern expression framed by long, straight hair.
The photographs were first unveiled as postcards hidden across the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts—a school founded by McCartney—before spreading rapidly across social media.
Each actor will headline their own standalone film, with the quartet of releases scheduled to debut simultaneously on April 7, 2028. The project marks the first time the Beatles and Apple Corps Ltd. have granted full music and life rights for a scripted theatrical production.
Mendes spoke on the significance of the project:
“I’m honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies.”
The supporting cast includes Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono, Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd, Mia McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Starkey Tigrett, James Norton as manager Brian Epstein, and Harry Lloyd as producer George Martin
Readers didn’t hold back. You can see their reactions to Paul Mescal’s McCartney transformation below:
The Beatles biopics arrive at a pivotal moment for Mescal. While he continues rehearsing for Mendes’ films, he is also juggling Richard Linklater’s long-gestating Merrily We Roll Along.
Still, he remains cautious about fame and deliberate about his casting choices.
He reflected on his career thus far:
“The longer you’re in it, you become less shiny, which is a really good thing. People become less interested in what you’re saying and hopefully more interested in the work you’re making.”And that philosophy appears to be paying off. Most recently, Mescal’s critically acclaimed performance as William Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet earned him his first Golden Globe nomination, a clear career milestone as he prepares to take on playing one of music’s most influential figures.
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