The actor could potentially portray McCartney in the new Beatles films, according to Ridley Scott.
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Rocketman,” “One Love” and “Back to Black”: films that brought the unique, sometimes chaotic and emotional stories of music legends to the screen. And now the time has come: one of the most important bands in the world is getting its own film. Sam Mendes’ Beatles biopic is in the starting blocks. One of the main roles is now said to have been awarded. Namely to Paul Mescal.
The challenge of uniting the Fab Four
But telling the story of one of the greatest bands of all time doesn’t seem to be that easy to accomplish. To pay a fair tribute to the Beatles’ work and career, director Sam Mendes revealed that four films are planned to complete the Beatles biopic. Each film focuses on one member of the Fab Four and their perspective. “I’m honored to tell the story of the greatest rock band of all time and excited to challenge the idea of what constitutes a moviegoing experience,” Mendes said in an interview with Marie Claire.
Tom Rothman, CEO of Sony Pictures, also speaks out about the scale of the project: “You have to combine the boldness of the idea with a bold release strategy,” Rothman told The Hollywood Reporter. And further: “There has never been an undertaking like this before, and you cannot look at it in traditional publishing dimensions.”
Gathering of Hollywood’s heartthrobs for Beatles biopic
In addition to the fact that there will be four films, there is also something else that everyone is talking about about the Beatles biopic: the cast. There have been rumors for months as to who exactly should play whom of the four musicians. The latest whisper propaganda is particularly pleasing to fans of the recently released “Gladiator II”. Paul Mescal is said to be taking on the role of Paul McCartney. Mescal gained fame through the film adaptation of Sally Rooney’s globally acclaimed novel Normal People. Meanwhile, the producers and directors seem to be fighting for the 28-year-old Irishman. The rumor was now started by “Gladiator II” director Ridley Scott.
While speaking with filmmaker Christopher Nolan after a screening of “Gladiator II” at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles on December 10, Scott discussed his next project, a thriller called “The Dog Stars.” Scott was asked whether Mescal would also appear in these films after “Gladiator II”. “Paul already has his hands full playing with the Beatles. So I might have to let him go,” the director admitted, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The casting of Mescal has not yet been officially confirmed by Sony.
What else the rumor mill is dishing up about the cast: “Triangle of Sadness” actor Harris Dickinson as frontman John Lennon, “Stranger Things” actor Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and “Saltburn” actor Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr – the latter at least confirmed by Starr.