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ITā€™S BEEN MORE than 60 years since Beatlemania first swept across the globe, inciting mass hysteria and uninhibited fanaticism of the highest degree. Now, with the announcement that all four members of the iconic band will be the subjects of upcoming biopics, the Beatles craze could soon return.

Director Sam Mendes has announced heā€™ll be helming his most ambitious project yet, a series of four biopic films about The Beatles. Thatā€™s right, the band isnā€™t just getting one biopic, all four members will be the focus of four standalone films.

The films, which are set for a 2027 release date, are the first of their kind to receive the blessing of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the families of George Harrison and John Lennon for full life story rights. Music rights holders Apple have also signed off, meaning we can expect all of The Beatles’ classic hits to appear in the films.

ā€œIā€™m honoured 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,ā€ Mendes said in a statement. The last part of that quote is perhaps most interesting, and the lack of further details on structure and release schedule will inevitably lead to speculation. Could we expect all four films to be released simultaneously as part of an 8-hour+ Beatles bonanza? Maybe.

Casting for the films hasnā€™t yet begun, but weā€™re certain Hollywoodā€™s top talent will be vying for the roles. Personally, we think Daniel Radcliffe is a shoe-in for John Lennonā€™s part. For one, heā€™s British. And two, heā€™s already proven to be more than capable of acting while wearing Windsor glasses. To throw another Harry Potter actorā€™s hat into the ring, Robert Pattinson shares some resemblance with George Harrison, particularly in their shared angular lower faces. As for Paul McCartney, the closest lookalike might be found across the Atlantic, as TimothĆ©e Chalamet would look quite similar to the Beatleā€”provided he receives some deft hairstyling beforehand.

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Who is Sam Mendes?

The man directing the four Beatles biopics is Sam Mendes, who clearly isnā€™t short on ambition. Mendesā€™ debut film, American Beauty, was a major critical success back in 2000, when it won five Oscars, including Best Picture. He then took over the James Bond franchise, directing Skyfall and Spectre, which both remain the IPā€™s highest grossing films. More recently, Mendes directed 1917, which famously appeared to be filmed in a single shot. Itā€™s worth noting that Mendes was born in 1965, whichā€”if it wasnā€™t quite the peak of Beatlemaniaā€”was a time when The Beatles were frequently topping the charts.

When are the Beatlesā€™ movies coming out?

The Beatlesā€™ biopics have been given a distant 2027 release date, but thereā€™s some ambiguity surrounding how their rollout will actually materialise. It isnā€™t yet clear if the films will be released simultaneously, or if they’ll have a staggered release schedule. Although Sony, who will be distributing the films, have said that they will have an “innovative release cadence” that will be ā€œground breakingā€. Precisely what that means hasnā€™t been announced, but by the sound of it, it could forever change the moviegoing experience.

What will the Beatlesā€™ movies be about?

While the exact plot details of the Beatlesā€™ biopics havenā€™t been revealed, director Sam Mendes explained that they will have interconnected stories told from the perspective of each band member. Now, if they are going to be interconnected, the order you watch them in seems important, as you canā€™t just switch between films halfway through. Weā€™d assume thatā€™s where the ā€œinnovative dating cadenceā€ comes in. We just wish we knew what it was.

Naturally, stay tuned for more.

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