The Beatles - A Four-Part Cinematic Event, directed by Sam Mendes, is slowly revealing more of its star-studded cast. The upcoming films will be told from each band member’s perspective over the most pivotal years of the band’s popularity. This makes sense, considering The Beatles famously fought just as often as they came together for the music's sake, so each film will likely be pretty different.
So far, the four Beatles have been revealed. Paul Mescal is Paul McCartney, Harrison Dickinson is John Lennon, Joseph Quinn is George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan is Ringo Starr. While initial reactions to this casting were mixed, it’s hard to deny that this is a solid acting lineup.
However, many other important people from Beatles lore have yet to be announced. For example, long-time Beatles record producer George Martin has yet to be cast. Plus, there are the wives and girlfriends who caused so much intrigue and, at times, controversy for the band.
Many die-hard Beatles fans are dying to know who will play Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, Pattie Boyd, Maureen Starkey, Linda McCartney, Cynthia Lennon, or any of the other women who loved the Fab Four. Fortunately, we have an update on who will play one of these important women.
Saoirse Ronan will play a pivotal spouse in Beatles history
Saoirse Ronan is set to portray Linda McCartney, the wife of Sir Paul McCartney. While it’s unclear how prominent her role will be in the other three films, we can at least count on seeing a lot of Ronan in the movie from Paul’s perspective.
I hope to see a lot of Linda in the film, if only because she had such a vibrant life outside her husband’s career. She was a prolific photographer, even met Paul while on a photo assignment, and continued portraying herself as an independent woman. She joined Paul in his post-Beatles band, Wings, but still kept up with her career and hobbies.
She was also considered one of the reasons why The Beatles ultimately split, or at least fans and tabloids at the time felt this way. Her marriage to Paul and John Lennon’s marriage to Yoko Ono fell relatively close to the band’s demise, which caused many to link the two. It would be interesting to see this narrative explored in the film, alongside the sweet love story the two experienced.
Ronan is no stranger to iconic film roles (or starring alongside Mescal)
We, of course, know Ronan from her various critically acclaimed films. We have been tracking her career from her early role as Briony in Atonement, to Greta Gerwig collabs Lady Bird and Little Women, and her most recent BAFTA-winning role in The Outrun. Ronan is a great choice to play the free-spirited and talented Linda McCartney.
Funnily enough, Ronan and Mescal have also worked together before. The two starred in Foe, a sci-fi/thriller film portraying a married couple facing unique, futuristic obstacles. Now, they’ll get to go back in time to play a couple with troubles of their own.
Ultimately, this casting news should help audiences feel confident about the buzzy biopic. The Beatles are an intimidating subject matter for a film, which may explain why there will be four parts, but we are starting to see the bigger picture.
The Beatles - A Four-Film Cinematic Event will premiere in theaters in April 2028.
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