Sam Mendes’ ‘Beatles’ Movies To Arrive In 2028

During their CinemaCon panel, Sony Pictures officially announced the release date of the four Beatles movies, which will all hit theatres on the same day in April 2028.

During the panel, director Sam Mendes also confirmed the castings for the movie, which were well known to the internet at this point after months of leaks, rumours and speculation. The cast is:

• Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney
• Harris Dickinson as John Lennon
• Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr
• Joseph Quinn as George Harrison

This is the first time a major studio has attempted to tell the same overarching story across multiple movies from different viewpoints, allowing for a deeper and more personal exploration of John, Paul, George, and Ringo’s individual experiences. The potential for unique storytelling is undeniable as a narrative has never been told like this before on screen, from four different perspectives.

However, it’s also a massive gamble—four movies could be overwhelming for audiences, leading to diminishing returns and a poor box office if interest wanes after the first or second installment. If the studio mishandles the rollout, it could result in an oversaturation that hurts the box office rather than elevating the project into a cinematic event. 

The current strategy of releasing four movies on the same day is almost guaranteed to not work. Still, Sony has a few years to consider and review before the films actually release, so it’s likely that by the time April 2028 rolls around, they would have scrapped this plan and found something better for their studio economy.

On the other hand, musical biopics are anything but dead. The success of Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, and the various other movies proved that audiences are eager to see iconic musicians’ stories brought to life, and the casting of Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan shows the demand and hype for A-List actors to star and give their portrayals of these iconic musicians, which likely informed the choices for this movie – though who’s to say if these actors will still be desired and as big in 3 years?

If executed well, these films could redefine the music biopic genre and provide an unprecedented look at the Beatles’ journey from multiple angles. But with such a high-concept structure, the risk is just as big as the reward—Mendes and the studio will have to carefully balance excitement and longevity to make sure audiences stay engaged across all four releases.

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