Sweat it out in a boardroom thick with cigar smoke and second-guessing— that's the vibe I imagine when Tom Rothman greenlit Sam Mendes' four Beatles movies. $400 million plus, each film clocking in around $100 million, and all dropping in April 2028. Ambitious? Hell, it's borderline insane. Rothman's been steering Sony through some rough patches lately, box office blues that'd make lesser execs bolt. But here he is, betting the farm on this Fab Four epic. One old producer pal of his quipped it might be Rothman's retirement swan song—fitting, if you ask me, because if these films click, he'll exit like a legend. If not… well, Hollywood's got a graveyard full of expensive ghosts.
Mendes, though. The guy's got that quiet fire, the kind that turned “1917” into a trench-warped fever dream and “American Beauty” into something sharper than it had any right to be. Directing all four back-to-back, he's weaving a Rashomon-style tapestry—each movie from a different Beatle's lens, I hear. Paul, George, John, Ringo, their worlds colliding and splintering in real time. It's not just biography; it's a fractured mirror to the mania of the '60s, the breakdowns behind the hits. And the cast? Paul Mescal slipping into McCartney's cheeky charm—watch “Normal People” and tell me it won't work. Barry Keoghan as Ringo, that understated beat with a haunted edge from “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Joseph Quinn channeling George's quiet mysticism, post-Stranger Things glow still fresh. Harris Dickinson as Lennon—edgy, raw, the firebrand who could unravel it all. Then Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono, bringing that “Shōgun” intensity to the storm center, and Aimee Lou Wood as Patti Boyd, George's muse for those 11 turbulent years. It's a lineup that screams prestige, but damn, the pressure.
Greig Fraser on cinematography seals it— the man behind “Dune's” sand-swept epics and “The Batman's” noir grit. Expect visuals that pop like Abbey Road sessions under LSD lights, all that '60s haze rendered in IMAX glory. Writers? A murderers' row: Peter Straughan from “Conclave,” Jack Thorne of “Adolescence” bite, Jez Butterworth's “Ford v Ferrari” muscle. And whispers of Krysty Wilson-Cairns, Mendes' “1917” collaborator, rounding it out—though nothing official yet. Logistics hit like a drum solo: 15 months straight of shooting, three to four per film. Barry Keoghan spilled to The Sun it's a grind that'll test souls. Crews rotating, actors morphing personas mid-marathon—imagine the egos, the exhaustion. One insider muttered about reshoots baked in from day one, just to keep the perspectives from bleeding over.
This isn't your standard rock biopic slop. At $400M+, it's Rothman's Alamo, a high-wire act in an industry choking on superhero fatigue and streaming slop. Mendes betting on emotional fractures over fan-service fluff— the Beatles weren't just mop-tops; they were a cultural earthquake, splintering under fame's weight. Will it pay off? April 2028 feels like a lifetime away, but if Cannes or TIFF snags a sneak peek, expect buzz that drowns out the skeptics. Me? I'm torn. Thrilled at the scope, wary of the bloat. Hollywood loves its dice rolls, but this one's got four sides, each sharper than the last.
For more on the project's inner workings, check out Puck's deep dive by Matt Belloni.
The Budget Beast Awakens
$400 million across four films— that's not pocket change; it's a studio's soul on the line, rivaling the decade's boldest swings. Rothman's all-in, hoping Mendes turns it into gold.
Casting That Echoes Eras
Mescal, Keoghan, Quinn, Dickinson as the core four, with Sawai and Wood adding layers to the inner circle. It's fresh faces tackling icons, bound to spark debates on authenticity versus reinvention.
Rashomon Reimagined for Rock Gods
Each movie a Beatle's viewpoint, shot consecutively over 15 grueling months. The structure promises depth, but the marathon production? A recipe for brilliance or burnout.
Visuals Worth the Price Tag
Greig Fraser's lens will make Liverpool '64 look alive—think “Dune” scale meets Beatles psychedelia. No wonder the budget balloons; this demands epic craft.
Writers' Heavy Hitters
Straughan, Thorne, Butterworth, and maybe Wilson-Cairns scripting the saga. Their pedigrees scream smart, layered storytelling over rote nostalgia.
What about you—ready to dive into this Beatles rabbit hole, or does the price tag give you pause? Hit the comments; let's unpack it.
