We still have to wait three more years until all the Fab Fourbiopicsare released, but everyone involved is already prepping for what will surely be an epic cinematic event. Every member ofThe Beatlesis equally important, and as ambitious as four movies sound, Sony Pictures giving each band member its own biopic makes a lot of sense.Barry Keoghan, who’s set to play drummerRingo Starr, has been testing his drumming abilities for weeks now, and recently had to pass the ultimate test: meeting none other than The Beatles' drummer himself.
Keoghan recently appeared onJimmy Kimmel Liveto promote his upcoming movie, the musical thriller directed by Trey Edward Shults and co-starring Jenna Ortega and The Weeknd,Hurry Up Tomorrow. The actor also talked about the 2026 filmCrime 101, co-starring MCU’s Chris Hemsworth. However, it was clear that what he was most excited about was discussingThe Beatles biopic,the four-part film series also starring Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, and Joseph Quinn as John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, respectively.
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While biopics don’t always demand the performers' effort to be authentic, we’re talking about The Beatles here, so it feels safe to assume that these actors are putting in the work. Keoghan, for his part, is doing his best to portray a credible version of Ringo, and he confirmed that he has been taking lessons. He also addressed meeting the music legend, but found it too much of a challenge to sit and play for him: “I met Ringo the other day in his house…He played the drums for me. He asked me to play, but I wasn’t playing the drums for Ringo.”
Keoghan continues:
“When I was talking to him, I couldn’t look at him. I was nervous. But he’s like, ‘You can look at me.’ And again, you’re playing Ringo Starr. My job is to observe and take in the mannerisms and study. I want to bring forward, and to humanize and bring feelings to it, and not just sort of imitate.”
The news that Keoghan would play the drummer was supposed to remain a secret untilStarr himself leaked the newslast year. The actor also talked about this during the show: “He was like, ‘Barry is somewhere doing drums. I think he should stop and not do it anymore.’ But he leaked the news.”
Sam Mendes, the director of films likeAmerican Beauty,1917andSkyfall, is directing all four of themusical biopics. Writers include Jez Butterworth (Black Mass,Spectre), Jack Thorne (Tron: Ares, Netflix’sAdolescence), and Peter Straughan (Conclave,Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), and it has been revealed that all four movies will follow similar storylines, with each one depicting the perspective of a different Beatle.
The films will be released in April 2028, but it still hasn’t been confirmed whether they will all be playing in theaters at the same time, or in what order they will be released. Nevertheless, there’s an exciting detail that will have fans cheering as if they were at a Beatles concert in the ’60s: the films may feature original recordings of Beatles songs. This is fairly unusual, as the band has rarely licensed the use of their songs in movies. Rare exceptions include the TV showMad Men,and the 1986 movieFerris Bueller’s Day Off,which featured the songsTomorrow Never KnowsandTwist and Shout, respectively.
The Beatles - Four Films
