LONDON – Sam Mendes’ highly anticipated series of four Beatles biopics has secured its screenwriters.
Jez Butterworth (“Ford v Ferrari,” “Spectre”), Peter Straughan (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “Conclave”), and Jack Thorne (“Enola Holmes,” “The Aeronauts”) have been selected to pen the scripts for the films, which will be produced by Sony Pictures and Neal Street Productions. The films will tell the life stories of The Beatles — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr — from each member’s perspective.
The series marks the first time that Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film. Sam Mendes, who conceived and will direct the films, will focus on each band member’s personal journey, with the narratives intersecting to reveal the story of the iconic group.
The films will star Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.
Sony Pictures will finance and distribute the films worldwide, with the theatrical release set for April 2028.
Mendes will produce alongside Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor of Neal Street Productions, with Alexandra Derbyshire (“Wonka”) also on board as a producer.
Butterworth’s recent work includes Ford v Ferrari and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, along with Spectre, Black Mass, and Edge of Tomorrow. He is also a Tony-winning playwright for The Ferryman and recently received seven Tony nominations for his play The Hills of California.
Straughan, an Academy Award winner for his screenplay of Conclave, also co-wrote the Oscar-nominated Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His credits include Our Brand is Crisis and Frank, and he adapted Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall into a BAFTA-winning TV series.
Thorne, a BAFTA and Tony-winning writer, co-created the acclaimed series Adolescence and worked on films such as The Swimmers, Enola Holmes, and Wonder. His TV work includes His Dark Materials and Toxic Town. On stage, he wrote the Tony and Olivier Award-winning Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
The writers are represented by CAA, Alan Wertheimer at Jackoway Austen Tyerman (Butterworth), Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and CAA (Straughan), and UTA, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern (Thorne).
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