Sam Mendes has just signed on to partner with Sony and Apple Corps on FOUR theatrical movies, one on each Beatle. He’ll tell interconnected stories, one from each band member’s point of view

This is the first time Apple Corps and the Beatles themselves and their estates have granted access to their life story and music rights with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sean Lennon and Olivia Harrison all giving the go ahead.

It's aiming for release in 2027.

There was a huge level of interest understandably in this and Mendes has been exploring it for a year but brought it to studios in Dec.

This will be MASSIVE. Between MJ and Beatles movies, we're bound to see some blockbuster grosses for the genre but this feels like a whole other level.

It's a big risk to have 4 different movies but could very well see them spread them out to every 3-6 months so wraps up with Paul or John.

https://deadline.com/2024/02/beatles-mo ... 235831317/

This is like a musical avengers lol.

Sounds very interesting.

Feel like this is overthinking it. Can they release George and Ringo’s straight to streaming?

Box office wise, the Yesterday (2019) movie made $73M domestic and $155M. They paid $10M for music rights and none of the family was involved though Boyle got approval from the families.

I feel there will be some big stars trying to get a role of one of the Beatles, especially John or Paul. Sam Mendes involvement will probably give it decent Oscar hopes as well.

Smart move would be to start with John Lennon in December 2026, George Harrison the following March, Ringo in summer and Paul in November.

Titles:

Come Together
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Octopus' Garden
Let It Be

Agree that they need to start and end with Paul and John.

As for grosses, have no idea but will have a stab for fun:

Come Together $120m
While My Guitar Gently Weeps $70m
Octopus' Garden $60m
Let It Be $150m

This is ridiculous. For a streaming movie, sure. Theatrical? Audiences don't care that much about Ringo and George Harrison. Lennon obviously he could have a solo biopic. McCartney... sure but it would have to focus a lot on Beatles.

What they really should do is just a Beatles biopic period, with whoever is playing McCartney as the lead, Lennon as second billed, and the other two are 3rd and 4th billed. And then someone can make an artsy Lennon movie as well. Ringo and George are not eventful or important enough as solo people outside of what they did with the band. They are pretty irrelevant these days as solo artists tbh.

They're majorly fucking up by doing this to cater to the massive egos of Starr and whoever owns the George Harrison estate. Someone needs to sit them down and say "sorry, you've always been second fiddle, and your ego bath of a movie will lose a lot of money and completely dillute the far more promising Beatles and Lennon biopics. Try with with Paramount+ instead."

I bet what happened is that when McCartney heard they were interested in making a movie focusing on John Lennon, he insisted he get his own biopic as well to agree to give them the rights to the Beatles music, and then Ringo and the Harrison estate also demanded their own biopics. Hubris and ego.

What if they are ALL GREAT and the actors end up getting multiple lead & supporting acting noms.
10 slots and they get 4 to 6 of them

I truly hope that they intertwine all four movies in a way that certain scenes are shared, possibly from the viewpoint of that film's musician. And of course using the same actors. Make it truly interconnected.

All four movies coming out in one month is a mistake. Should let them breathe on their own. Paul in March, Ringo in June, George in October, John in December for oscar buzz.

All four movies coming out at all is a mistake.

They are going to make so much money from this. 4 films will be almost $100 in ticket purchases by then with inflation to see all of them. If they are filming them all at the same time could also trim down the budget for 4 movies too. If 4 movies cost $150M that's $38M each. Pretty sure the Paul and Lennon ones are $150M+ box office runs.

Four movies at the same time is hilarious. The pretty it-boys casting is a mess.

This will go down as one of the most hubristic disasters in Hollywood history

There were two films they could've made here: A 3 hour The Beatles biopic, and/or a John Lennon artsy biopic. That's it.

No one cares about Ringo. No one cares enough about George Harrison outside of that one album, and it's not 1972 anymore anyway. Paul McCartney is boring outside of the Beatles.

John Lennon is the one who has the fascinating life story, tragic ending, iconic/infamous relationship, the most iconic solo Beatles song ("Imagine"), association with major political movements of the 60s and 70s. He's the only one that merited a big budget solo movie.

Paul and Ringo are going to get a massive ego check when John's movie is the one that gets all the attention and box office and awards nominations. Like sorry but nothing in the life of the others compares to John's life. All the drama and iconic moments are John. You can already picture it, the messy relationship with Yoko Ono, the anti Vietnam war protesting and publicity stunts, breaking up the band, "Imagine", political protests, the drug addiction, the murder. People are not going to watch four movies about basically the same thing, they're going to pick one and it's going to be John Lennon. Mark my words.

The story we want to see is John and Paul getting slowly more pissed at each other and then eventually break up. There doesn't need to be 4 movies for that.

I feel like the separate movies may have been the only way Ringo / Harrison estate maybe gave sign off on it as it's going to get permission to use the Beatles song catalog. I can't think of another reason for a Ringo movie.

This is one of those "its so crazy that it is very exciting" things.

Of course the Lennon and McCartney movies will make more money, but still.