Entertainment

Speculation begins about who’ll star in Sam Mendes’ Beatles films

Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on February 21, 2024

Now that it’s been announced that Sam Mendes will direct four separate movies about The Beatles — one for each band member — the speculation about who’ll play Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr has begun.

Variety has offered up some of suggestions, including Daisy Jones & The Six’s Sam Claflin as Lennon. Its other Lennon suggestions include Heartstopper’s Kit Connor; Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played Lennon in 2009’s Nowhere Boy; and Love & Mercy’s Paul Dano.

Jacob Elordi, who played Elvis Presley in Priscilla, is one of its picks for McCartney. Other suggestions include Billy Elliott‘s Jamie Bell, although the publication notes that at 37 he could be too old; and Tom Holland, although it points out his Spider-Man schedule could get in the way.

For Harrison, it offers up Timothée Chalamet — although with him already playing Bob Dylan in an upcoming movie, Variety says that could be “one too many trips through the counterculture” for the actor. Other picks for Harrison include Sex Education’s Asa Butterfield and even Harrison’s son, 45-year-old Dhani Harrison, although it questions his age and whether he can act.

Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan and Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe are suggested for Starr, although it also mentions Daniel Day-Lewis to play the drummer, even though it notes he’s too old and already retired from acting.

Of course, it isn’t just Variety offering up suggestions. Vulture has a couple, as well, including Harry Styles as McCartney and Masters of the Air actor Callum Turner as Lennon.

Mendes’ planned films mark the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a studio the rights to the life stories of band members and their legendary catalog of music. The films are due out in 2027.