By Rebecca Rubin
Film and Media Reporter
John, Paul, George and Ringo will each be the subject of a different upcoming feature film.
Director Sam Mendes plans to make four separate movies, one from each Beatles member’s point of view. They will intersect to “tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history,” leading up to their 1970 breakup, according to a press release. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of the late John Lennon and George Harrison have granted full life story and music rights for the scripted films.
“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, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker of “American Beauty,” war drama “1917” and James Bond films “Skyfall” and “Spectre,” said in a statement.
Sony Pictures Entertainment will finance and distribute all four films theatrically in 2027. Details about release plans will be shared later, but the studio promises the strategy will be “innovative and groundbreaking.”
It would certainly be risky to premiere all four films in the same year. However, music movies have been surging in popularity at the box office. Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” and Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love” were bigger hits than expected, while Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” a cinematic rendering of her record-breaking concert, outperformed several Hollywood franchises in terms of global ticket sales. Several other looks at musical legends are in the works; Antoine Fuqua is turning Michael Jackson’s life story into a feature film, Amy Winehouse is getting the biopic treatment with “Back to Black” and Ridley Scott is in talks to direct a movie about the rise of the Bee Gees.
In addition to directing, Mendes will produce alongside his Neal Street Productions partner Pippa Harris and Neal Street’s Julie Pastor. Jeff Jones will executive produce for Apple Corps Limited, the multi-media organization founded by the Beatles in 1968.
“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 said in a statement. “To have The Beatles’ and Apple Corps’ blessing to do this is an immense privilege.”
This is the first time the Beatles have granted their full support for a scripted film. The band has been the subject of several documentaries including the 1970s film “Let It Be,” which chronicled the group’s breakup, as well as Peter Jackson’s “Get Back,” which captured the making of their album “Let It Be.” Their songs also inspired films like the 2007 jukebox musical “Across the Universe” and 1978’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Despite their global following, not everything the Beatles touch turns to cinematic gold — “Across the Universe” flopped, for instance.
Of course, the Fab Four also appeared in their own movies, including 1964’s “A Hard Day’s Night,” 1965’s “Help!,” 1967’s “Magical Mystery Tour” and 1968’s “Yellow Submarine.”
“I know I speak for our CEO Tony Vinciquerra, who was instrumental in making this happen, and every Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group colleague around the world when I say: ‘yeah, yeah, yeah!’” said Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony’s Motion Picture Group. “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.”
In a note to Sony employees on Tuesday, Rothman wrote that “many companies were hoping for the chance to partner on this once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience. I am honored that in Columbia Pictures’ 100th year, and with Tony’s enthusiastic support, we won the day and are the chosen home.”
Deadline first broke the news.
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