The Beatles’ Untold Stories Hit the Big Screen – Meet the A-List Writers Shaping Mendes’ Bold Vision

Acclaimed British screenwriters Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne have been confirmed to write Sam Mendes’ ambitious series of four Beatles biopics. Each film will center on a different member of the band and is slated for theatrical release in April 2027.

The casting includes Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

The writers bring impressive credentials:
Butterworth: An Olivier and Tony-winning playwright (“The Ferryman,” “The Hills of California”) and Mendes collaborator. His screenwriting includes “Ford v Ferrari,” “Spectre,” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
Straughan: An Oscar winner for “Conclave” and BAFTA winner for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (co-written with his late wife). He adapted “Wolf Hall” and its sequel for television.
Thorne: Creator of the hit series “Adolescence.” He won Olivier and Tony awards for the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and wrote “The Motive and the Cue” for Mendes. His TV work includes “This Is England,” “His Dark Materials,” and “Toxic Town,” and films like the “Enola Holmes” series.

It remains unclear if each writer will handle a separate film or collaborate on all four.

Mendes conceived and will direct the project. This marks a significant milestone, being the first time Apple (The Beatles’ record company) and surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have granted full life story rights for theatrical films.

Mendes expressed his long-held passion, stating, “The Beatles changed my understanding of music… I’ve been trying to make a movie about them for years.” He explained that the story demanded multiple films, calling it “too big for one film” and unsuitable as a TV series, aiming for a deeper exploration. Sony’s Tom Rothman dubbed the project “the first bingeable theatrical experience.”

However, the casting choice of four non-Scouse actors (including two Irishmen) to portray the Liverpool-born band members has already sparked some criticism.