Film analysis: Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson & more - get ready to meet The Beatles

Photo by Sony Pictures

Sam Mendes and Sony Pictures are making a major swing with four interconnected biopics charting the life of the legendary rock ‘n’ roll group, The Beatles.

Thanks to an exciting presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, we now know the fine young actors portraying music’s most famous quartet. 

Film News Blitz’s David Bason introduces you to The Beatles and hails a brave creative move by Mendes and Sony.

Paul Mescal is Paul McCartney

Sony will unveil four Beatles films in 2028, each told from the perspective of one particular bandmate.

Director Mendes has selected some of the brightest young stars to step into the shoes of the band.

First up is Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, an actor who has rapidly risen to become a global superstar.

Mescal, 29, hailing from Ireland, shot to fame for his gentle, complex portrayol of Connell in the beautiful television drama Normal People.

After stealing hearts during the pandemic, Mescal went on to play the troubled father Calum in 2022’s Aftersun, earning an Oscar nomination.

His most recent role saw him hit the big time as the lead in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel, whereby he held his own alongside Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington.

Joseph Quinn is George Harrison

Mescal’s Gladiator II co-star Joseph Quinn lines up as George Harrison.

Quinn shot to prominence via Season 4 of Netflix’s Stranger Things, portraying the Dungeons & Dragons aficionado Eddie Munson.

His recent film credits include not only Gladiator II but also a supporting role in A Quiet Place: Day One.

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However, it’s Quinn’s upcoming credits that are the most intriguing, including, but not limited to, a prominent role in directors Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare, coming to cinemas on April 11.

But ahead of his turn as Harrison, Quinn will star as The Human Torch in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Quinn’s star is certainly rising.

Barry Keoghan is Ringo Starr

Barry Keoghan will undoubtedly have become known among contemporary cinema audiences with his brief but tragic appearance in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk (2017).

Since then, he has rapidly expanded his cinematic portfolio in the likes of Marvel’s Eternals, the incredible Banshees of Inisherin, and put in a brave, peculiar and downright deranged turn as the lead in Saltburn.

He also shot into the wider media spotlight during his recent relationship with global pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter.

Keoghan is somewhat of an acting chameleon, capable of disappearing into his roles with startling effectiveness.

Harris Dickinson is John Lennon

Harris Dickinson as John Lennon completes this quartet of rising stars stepping into the shoes of the world’s most famous band.

Dickinson is, like his Beatles co-stars, building a strong cinematic portfolio, ranging from The King’s Man to Triangle of Sadness and The Iron Claw.

However, his recent role in the erotic drama Babygirl opposite Nicole Kidman has garnered particular recognition, if not only for his now viral dance to George Michael’s hit ‘Father Figure.’

What connects these British and Irish actors is that they are all widely hailed as the best of a generation.

Moreover, with a certain franchise that director Mendes has had a hand in steering, James Bond, it goes without saying that Mescal, Quinn, Keoghan and Dickinson could all bring a fresh new take on Agent 007.

What is more certain, though, is that these four will bring their brilliance to The Beatles with aplomb.

All hail Mendes

In a world where studios all too often take the easy choice, Sony and Mendes must be applauded for their Beatles plan.

Four cinematic releases in April 2028 are a task in itself, but weaving four independent stories from varied perspectives is a unique way to bring a well-told narrative to audiences in a new way.

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"They're four very different human beings,” Mendes said at CinemaCon (via the BBC). 

“Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply. But together, all four films will tell the story of the greatest band in history.

"I just felt the story of the band was too huge to fit into a single movie, and that turning it into a TV mini-series just somehow didn't feel right."

Film News Blitz will be first in line to watch the four films when they’re released.

Inter-connected films aren’t new, but it will be refreshing to see some without capes.

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