Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sam Mendes (American Beauty, 1917, Skyfall) is planning to direct four different Beatles biopics, with each film focusing on a different member of the band. They’re all set to be released theatrically in 2027.
“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,” Mendes said in a statement. The project has full cooperation from the band’s surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the George Harrison and John Lennon Estates, and Apple Records.
Mendes will produce the films alongside Neal Street Productions’ Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor. “We intend this to be a uniquely thrilling, and epic cinematic experience: four films, told from four different perspectives which tell a single story about the most celebrated band of all time,” Harris commented. “To have The Beatles’ and Apple Corps’ blessing to do this is an immense privilege. From our first meeting with Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler, it was clear that they shared both our passion and ambition for this project, and we can’t think of a more perfect home than Sony Pictures.”
Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, added: “Theatrical movie events today must be culturally seismic. Sam’s daring, large-scale idea is that and then some. Pairing his premiere filmmaking team, with the music and the stories of four young men who changed the world, will rock audiences all over the globe. We are deeply grateful to all parties and look forward ourselves to breaking some rules with Sam’s uniquely artistic vision.”