John, Paul, George and Ringo will all be the subject of a different upcoming feature film.
Director Sam Mendes plans to make four separate films, one from the point of view of each Beatle member. They will cross paths “to tell the incredible story of the greatest band in history,” before their breakup in 1970, according to a press release. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the families of the late John Lennon and George Harrison have given the full life story and music rights to the scripted films.
“I am honored to tell the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and I am excited to challenge the idea of what constitutes a trip to the movies,” Mendes, director of the Oscar-nominated war drama “American Beauty,” and the James Bond films “Skyfall,” said in a statement. And “Spectre”.
Sony Pictures Entertainment will finance and distribute all four films theatrically in 2027. Details on release plans will be shared later, but the studio promises the strategy will be “innovative and groundbreaking.”
It would certainly be risky to release all four films in the same year. However, the popularity of musical biopics has soared at the box office. Baz Luhrmann's “Elvis” and Paramount's “Bob Marley: One Love” were bigger hits than expected, while Taylor Swift's “The Eras Tour,” a cinematic rendition of her record-breaking concert, outperformed several Hollywood franchises in terms of Global ticket sales. There are several other looks at the musical legends in the pipeline. Antoine Fuqua is turning Michael Jackson's life story into a feature film, Amy Winehouse is getting the biopic treatment with “Back to Black,” and Ridley Scott is in talks to direct a film about the rise of the Bee Gees.
In addition to directing, Mendes will produce alongside his Neal Street Productions partner Pippa Harris and Neal Street's Julie Pastor. Geoff Johns will executive produce for Apple Corps Limited, the multimedia organization founded by the Beatles in 1968.
“We intend this to be a uniquely exciting and epic cinematic experience: four films, told from four different perspectives that tell one story about the most iconic band of all time,” Harris said in a statement. “To have the blessing of The Beatles and Apple Corps to do this is a tremendous privilege.”
This is the first time the Beatles have given their full support to a scripted film. The band has been the subject of several documentaries, including the 1970s film “Let It Be”, which chronicled the group's breakup, as well as Peter Jackson's “Get Back”, which depicted the making of their album “Let It Be”. Their songs have also inspired films like the 2007 musical “Across the Universe” and “Sgt.” 1978. “Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Despite their global following, not everything the Beatles touch turns into cinematic gold — the flop of “Across the Universe,” for example.
“I know I speak on behalf of our CEO Tony Vinciquerra, who has been instrumental in making this happen, and every Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group colleague around the world when I say, ‘Yes, yes, yes,'” said Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO. “!” from the Sony Motion Picture Collection. “Today's theatrical blockbuster events should be a cultural earthquake. Sam's bold, wide-ranging idea is that and more. Combining his first filmmaking team with the music and stories of four young men who changed the world, it will shake audiences around the world.”
In a memo to Sony employees on Tuesday, Rothman wrote that “many companies were hoping for the opportunity to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience.” I'm honored that on Columbia Pictures' 100th anniversary, with Tony's enthusiastic support, we won the day and became the House of Choice.
Deadline was first to break the news.
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