Hollywood loves biopics. After Bob Marley, Elvis, Rocketman Or Bohemian Rhapsody, it’s the Beatles’ turn to see their legend spread on the big screen. Samuel Mendes, director ofAmerican Beautyfrom a pair of James Bond – Spectrum And Sky Fall –, and the war film 1917 will make not one but four films dedicated to each of the Fab Four, John, Paul, George and Ringo, Sony Pictures announced Monday February 19. Each film will embrace the point of view of one of the four trendy boys.
“We aim to deliver a unique, thrilling and epic cinematic experience: four films, told from four different points of view, that tell a single story about the most famous band of all time,” rejoiced producer Pippa Harris. “I’m honored to tell the story of the greatest rock band of all time,” added filmmaker Sam Mendes in a statement.
Long fussy about the exploitation of their image and their music, the Beatles – Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the rights holders of John Lennon and George Harrison – granted all of their rights to Sony for the production of these projects centered on their lives and their music.
Release dates will be announced later, but Sony says it is aiming for 2027. The films, all designed by Sam Mendes, could potentially coexist or cross paths in theaters.
The Beatles are not entirely new to cinema. Between 1964 and 1970, they appeared in five films, including “Four boys in the wind” (1964) and the cartoon “Yellow Submarine” (1968). They have also been the subject of numerous documentaries, including the most recent, “The Beatles: Get Back”by Peter Jackson in 2021. A biopic released in 1979, made during John Lennon’s lifetime, entitled “The Birth of the Beatles”credited Pete Best, the Beatles’ first drummer, as an advisor.