Oscar Nominee Lands Major Role in Beatles Biopic Series
One of Hollywood's most respected and revered directors is working on a sprawling, epic film series chronicling the lives and careers of one of the most influential bands of all time.
Sam Mendes, the director of "1917," "Skyfall" and "American Beauty," is making a four-film series on The Beatles. The series is tentatively titled "“The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event,” and some of the biggest names in Hollywood are already on board.
Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal will star as Paul McCartney, while Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn will play Ringo Starr and George Harrison, respectively. Harris Dickinson, who appeared in "The Iron Claw" and "Babygirl," will play John Lennon.
The Fab Four have already been accounted for, but another major role in the series has been filled - and there's another Oscar nominee set to join this star-studded cast.
Another Major 'Beatles' Role Has Been Cast
Saoirse Ronan, who starred in and earned an Academy Award nomination for "Brooklyn," will play Linda McCartney in the upcoming series of films.
Linda McCartney was a photographer and musician who began her career taking pictures of entertainers. She would become one herself later in her career, collaborating with her husband on the 1971 album "RAM" and then forming the band Wings with the former Beatle.
Paul and Linda McCartney married in March of 1969, two years after they met one another in London. They had three children together, and Paul adopted Linda's daughter Heather from a previous relationship.
In addition to her careers in photography and music, Linda McCartney was also an outspoken animal rights activist. She supported several animal rights organizations and causes, including PETA. The organization created an award in her honor, dedicating it to those who "opened the eyes of millions to the importance of a compassionate life."
Linda McCartney's Life and Legacy
Vegetarianism was important to McCartney, and she would go on to release a line of cookbooks. The popularity of her recipes led to the creation of a frozen food company specializing in vegetarian meals.
McCartney was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995, and that cancer spread to her liver. She died three years later at the age of 56, and many luminaries in the music industry attended her memorial.
Harrison and Starr - McCartney's surviving band mates in the Beatles - were in attendance. Elton John, Billy Joel and Peter Gabriel were also there, as the crowd grew to more than 700.
The upcoming film series will mark the first time that the Beatles and Apple Corps Ltd. will allow the band's music and story to be used in a scripted film.
Mendes has called the series "the first binge-able theatrical experience," and says that all four films will be released in April of 2028.