Longing For Yesterday: Can Hollywood Carry the Weight of The Beatles?
Graphic Designer: Daniela Mendoza
The world is extremely familiar with the Fab Four–four musicians from Liverpool formally known as the Beatles, who emerged in the 1960s and changed the course of rock ‘n’ roll forever with their innovative songwriting, varied discography, and hit-after-hit reputation. The Beatles set the standard for every artist who followed in their footsteps, which is why the upcoming biopics must showcase the group’s legacy with the utmost respect – but is Hollywood up for the job?
Sam Mendes, the director of Hamnet (2025), 1917 (2019), and American Beauty (1999), is set to direct a series of four separate Beatles films to be released in April 2028. The cinema extravaganza will retell the band’s compelling history, with each film dedicated to the unique perspective of each member. This past January, the first pictures from the biopics were released to the public, showing the cast’s “transformation” into the iconic rock stars.
Image Courtesy: TimeOut
Casting was announced back in March 2025, featuring Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and none other than Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. Well-known actors Mia McKenna-Bruce, Saoirse Ronan, Anna Sawai, and Aimee Lou Wood have also been confirmed to star as the spouses of The Beatles. Even so, it is not the female cast that fans are critiquing.
Image Courtesy: Deadline
Looking back, the eternal rock band is no stranger to the world of film and TV. The Beatles have been featured in countless documentaries and biopics; they’ve even been parodied in several movies. The film Nowhere Boy (2009), starring Aaron-Taylor Johnson as John Lennon, zoomed in on Lennon’s hardships during young adulthood and the formation of the band that would remain relevant decades later. In 2021, the documentary The Beatles: Get Back (2021) premiered on Disney+, displaying real-time footage of the band throughout the making of their last record. Even with the recognition they garnered over the years, no one had ventured to create a proper biopic for the Fab Four—similar to Bohemian Rhapsody or A Complete Unknown—until now.
As a die-hard Beatles fan myself, I want nothing more than to see their lives be represented and unveiled reverentially and accurately, as that is the least their musical accomplishments deserve. When the “first looks” from the films were officially released, there was an immediate uproar on social media. On TikTok and X, passionate fans were saying, “They will pay for this,” and initially thought it was an “April Fool's joke.” Many people think the actors are too “pretty” and “chiseled” to be cast, calling the lineup “a male actor beauty pageant.” Some have even joked that they cast Mescal as Paul McCartney just because they share the same first name. Less critical voices say actors do not need to look exactly like the people they portray. All in all, the critiques from fans are mixed.
Image Courtesy: NME
Out of the four, Mescal has certainly achieved the most successful transformation into the character. For example, he captures McCartney’s facial expressions and mouth shape pretty precisely. Dickinson, however, has been met with disappointment. The long hair and the iconic round-rimmed glasses can only take an actor so far when he doesn’t have the facial features to match. Even more discouraging is Quinn’s portrayal of Harrison. Perhaps the production will continue to develop his look by adding prosthetics of some sort, but at this juncture, there is simply no resemblance to Harrison whatsoever.
I am not saying vanity is everything, or that someone like Harrison’s son needs to be playing the role instead, but there comes a point in filmmaking where the audience must buy into the world fleshed out before them. This is also true for the characters in that world, and I worry this casting choice might leave the audience unconvinced. On a brighter note, Keoghan as Starr is pretty “on-the-nose.” Although we might not be able to unsee the man underneath, we can still appreciate the effort put into making him appear as authentic as possible.
With some tiny hits and some huge misses, the casting choices for The Beatles biopics beg the question: Why is Hollywood so insistent on recycling the same established actors again and again instead of dipping into the immense pool of undiscovered talent? A few Liverpudlians have spoken out about their disdain for the casting decision, insisting that numerous Scouse actors could have portrayed these roles more believably.
Actors who were born and raised where the band found their sound and share a lived experience that is difficult to replicate—naturally, having the Scouse accent down is also a plus. In an article from The Mirror, Julia Baird, John Lennon’s half-sister, spoke up about this issue of local representation, arguing, “Well, he's [Paul Mescal] in everything! What's wrong with Liverpool? We have actors, and they speak the language." It is difficult to ignore the sobering fact that nowadays, in film and TV, casting a Timothée Chalamet or Sydney Sweeney-type is often a requirement for a project to even move forward with production.
Image Courtesy: ENews
Image Courtesy: LA Times
Similarly, much of the conversation revolves around both Mescal’s and Keoghans’ romantic relationships. Both actors have recently taken turns in the limelight regarding their celebrity love affairs, another reason that might explain why they have the roles they do. Hollywood will go to great lengths to keep views high (a.k.a. make more money), and The Beatles biopics do not seem to be an exception. I am reminiscent of a time when an actor was cast for fitting the role rather than maintaining a large social media following. A million aspiring performers would have killed to be considered for a project like this, which is why celebrity cast lists feel so neglectful of true artistry.
Image Courtesy: Rolling Stone
In defense of the actors who have taken on the massive responsibility of celebrating the timeless band, their credits are promising and prove they carry the potential to live up to the challenge. In an interview with Backstage, Mescal assured audiences of the cast's commitment: “I can tell you from the inside of it that we’re approaching it with the greatest love and respect and rigor. I’ve definitely rehearsed for this longer than I’ve ever rehearsed for anything else in my entire life already. So we’re putting in the hard yards.” Who knows? These films could pull a complete 180 and prove us all wrong, and I hope they will. For fans who live and breathe The Beatles, and for those who are not as familiar, a victorious and honest portrayal of the Fab Four is the least they can do. Paul sang it best: “You’ve got to carry that weight.”
Strike Out,
Writer: Jacqueline Galvano
Editors: Salette Cambra, Dani Hernandez
Graphic Designer: Daniela Mendoza
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