Sam Mendes‘ “The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event” is undoubtedly one of the buzziest film projects of the next few years. And now we know who will pen the four upcoming biopics, each centering on a specific Beatles member.
Deadline reports that Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne will write the screenplays for Mendes’ four-film project about the biggest band in pop history. However, it’s unclear if the writers will collaborate on all four films together or work on scripts separately. In any case, there are several Tonys, BAFTAs, and Oscars between the trio, and that should be more than enough to put the rest of Hollywood on notice.
Mendes’ project is an ambitious one: he’ll direct four separate biopics, each one from a specific Beatles point of view, with all of them intersecting to tell the story of the iconic British Invasion band. Sony Pictures officially announced the cast for Mendes’ films at CinemaCon in March, and it’s a who’s who of the UK’s fastest-rising male acting talents. Harris Dickinson will play John Lennon, Barry Keoghan is Ringo Starr, Paul Mescal stars as Paul McCartney, and Joseph Quinn plays George Harrison. Sony currently has the four films slated for full theatrical releases in April 2028. And expect a full-fledged Beatles experience over all four films, as Apple Cops Ltd. and the estates of each Beatles member have granted Mendes full life-story and music rights for the project.
Mendes produces “The Beatales – A Four-Film Cinematic Event” via his Neal Street banner with Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor. Alexandra Derbyshire also produces the films. Sony Pictures finances.
Butterworth’s recent credits include two James Mangold pics: “Ford v Ferrari” and “Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny.” He’s also penned the likes of “Black Mass,” “Spectre,” and “Edge Of Tomorrow.” In theater, Butterworth’s works include “The Ferryman,” which he won a Tony for, and, most recently, “The Hills Of California,” which racked up seven Tony nods, including Best Play. It’s worth noting Mendes directed both those plays.
As for Straughan, he recently won the Best Screenplay Oscar for Edward Berger‘s papal thriller “Conclave.” He also won a BAFTA for co-writing “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” with his late wife Bridget O’Connor. Straughan also won a BAFTA for Best Drama Series for his work adapting Hilary Mantel‘s “Wolf Hall” novel for TV. Other film credits for the screenwriter include “Frank” and “Our Brand Is Crisis.”
Thorne’s career includes Tony and Olivier Awards for “Harry Potter And The Cursed Child” and BAFTA wins for “National Treasure” and “This Is England ’88” and “’90.” He’s also penned a bunch of hits for Netflix, including the series “Adolescence,” as well as “Enola Holmes” and its sequel. Recent TV credits for Thorne include “Toxic Town, “His Dark Materials,” and “Best Interests.”
As noted earlier, “The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event” hits theaters in Spring 2028.
