Director Peter Jackson revitalized Beatlemania in 2021 with “The Beatles: Get Back,” his acclaimed three-episode, nearly eight-hour Disney+ series about the making of the British rock group’s Let It Be (which had the original working title of Get Back). And Apple certainly saw an opportunity to do much more. While Jackson has hinted at doing more Beatles, Today, Apple pivoted in another direction, announcing four Beatles movies—one about each member to be—directed by Sam Mendes (“Skyfall”) in a partnership between Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), Mendes, and Neal Street Productions. The news was announced on the Beatles.com.
The aim? Four distinct and separate theatrical feature films all directed by Mendes, focusing on each member of the Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
And these aren’t documentaries, they’re “scripted,” aka, Mendes intends to make four feature-length dramas about each member. As conceived by Mendes, each film will be told from each band member’s point-of-view and will “intersect to tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment is financing and distributing the endeavor with the aim of releasing the movies in 2027. How spread out will they be in that year? SPE says the dating cadence of the films will be shared closer to release.
The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.
“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,” said Sam Mendes in a statement.
“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,” said Neal Street Productions partner Pippa Harris. “To have The Beatles’ and Apple Corps’ blessing to do this is an immense privilege. From our first meeting with Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler, it was clear that they shared both our passion and ambition for this project, and we can’t think of a more perfect home than Sony Pictures.”
