The first look at the new Beatles biopic has just been released, showing the actors playing the Fab Four in character, and the internet is going wild. The biopic will actually consist of four movies directed by Sam Mendes called The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event. These movies will be released in April 2028, meaning that moviegoers will have to buy four separate tickets to experience the full journey. This marks the first time the Beatles’ life stories and music will be scripted for a film.Â
The actors playing the Fab Four have been named, with Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney. Other names that have joined the project to play the band members’ partners include Saoirse Ronan, Anna Sawai, Aimee Lou Wood, and Mia McKenna-Bruce. People have expressed their opinions and concerns about the casting, mainly because the actors’ appearances do not meet their expectations.
Four separate photos from the Beatles biopic have been released, showing each actor engulfed in their character’s role. Dickinson is shown singing into a mic in a recording studio dressed like the late Lennon, while Mescal, Keoghan, and Quinn all look off-screen in their respective roles. Each actor is seen sporting a wig to match their member’s aesthetics better and hopefully ease fans.Â
Social media has been buzzing with people’s opinions on the actors’ portrayals of the Beatles. The previews have received a mostly positive reception, with Mescal receiving the most praise, as Reddit forums say even his mannerisms match McCartney’s. A lot of the criticism, however, stems from Quinn’s portrayal of Harrison. Many of the comments under the Instagram post focus on how unrealistic Quinn is for Harrison; some mention that filmmakers focused too much on ensuring that Lennon and McCartney’s characters looked identical, but completely missed Harrison’s thick, distinctive eyebrows.
Keoghan is also receiving mixed reviews for his portrayal of the bubbly, free-spirited Starr in a more stern light. While some fans are worried he won’t bring Ringo’s energy to light, others don’t see the likeness between the Saltburn actor and the famous Beatles drummer. Lastly, most fans just accepted Dickinson’s portrayal of John Lennon because the glasses make him look unrecognizable.Â
The latest leaked photos are from filming in London, where the setting has been transformed into late 1960s New York City. The actors are seen getting into a car as swarms of young girls push and pull to try to catch their attention. One photo shows a sign raised through the crowd that says “Beatles Forever.”
In the end, there will always be fans who will be upset because these actors will never look exactly like the Beatles. So far, the public has a few still and behind-the-scenes images to go off of to see how the actors look, but not much to see how they act. By the looks of it, Beatlemania will be making its return six decades after it all began.