Sam Mendes Supercharges Beatles Films With Harry Lawtey, Lucy Boynton, Farhan Akhtar and Morfydd Clark In Pivotal Roles

Sam Mendes is building a Beatles epic one casting announcement at a time, and today the roster gets four key additions. Production on his four-film gambit, titled 'The Beatles - A Four Film Cinematic Event,' is underway for Sony and Neal Street with April 2028 circled on the calendar. Yes, it is exactly as big as it sounds.

The new additions and why they matter

• Harry Lawtey (Industry, The Pale Blue Eye, Joker: Folie A Deux) steps in as Stuart Sutcliffe, the original Beatles guitarist often branded the Fifth Beatle. He exited in 1961, but the early-days lore sticks: he reportedly sang on a version of 'Love Me Tender,' which some say rubbed Paul McCartney the wrong way. Critics have long poked at Sutcliffe's stage presence; first drummer Pete Best has pushed back on the most colorful stories, like the one about Sutcliffe playing entire sets with his back to the crowd.
• Farhan Akhtar (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Ms. Marvel, Don: The Chase Begins Again) plays Ravi Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who opened George Harrison's ears and helped weave Indian instruments into the Beatles' sound.
• Lucy Boynton (Sing Street, Bohemian Rhapsody, Murder on the Orient Express) is Jane Asher, the British actor and onetime McCartney fiancee who fueled a run of classics: 'And I Love Her,' 'We Can Work It Out,' 'You Won't See Me,' 'I'm Looking Through You,' 'What You're Doing,' 'Things We Said Today,' and 'For No One.'
• Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud, Crawl, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) plays Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon's first wife and Julian Lennon's mother. Their bond frayed as John's LSD use escalated and his relationship with Yoko Ono took over.

Mendes is going all in

This is the first time Apple Corps Ltd., Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison have opened the door to both the life stories and the music for a scripted film. Mendes will direct all four entries, each one focused on a different Beatle, with writers Jez Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari), Peter Straughan (Conclave), and Jack Thorne (Adolescence) scripting.

The Fab Four are covered: Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) as John Lennon, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II) as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn (The Fantastic Four: First Steps) as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) as Ringo Starr. Ambition level: extreme, and the music rights make it a true once-in-a-lifetime clearance.

The rest of the band (and the world around them)

The ensemble is already deep. Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) plays Linda McCartney, James Norton (Happy Valley) is manager Brian Epstein, and Mia McKenna-Bruce (How to Have Sex) is Maureen Starkey. Anna Sawai (Shogun) appears as Yoko Ono, Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus) as Pattie Boyd, and Harry Lloyd (Game of Thrones) as producer George Martin. Family and inner circle are here too: David Morrissey (The Walking Dead) as Jim McCartney, Leanne Best (Carnival Row) as Mimi Smith, Bobby Schofield (Knightfall) as Neil Aspinall, Daniel Hoffmann-Gill (The Sandman) as Mal Evans, Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who) as Derek Taylor, and Adam Pally (Sonic the Hedgehog) as Allen Klein.

Four films, the actual songs, and a cast stacked to the rafters. See you in April 2028.