The writers who will be working on The Beatles biopics have been revealed, as a trio of Hollywood’s most successful scribes come together for Sam Mendes’ four film event.
Currently titled The Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event, the project was first announced in 2024, with Mendes directing four movies that will tell the story of the world’s most famous band from the perspective of each member.
It will be the first time an authorised biopic has been made of the band, although filmmakers Peter Jackson and Martin Scorsese have worked on documentaries Get Back and Beatles ’64 with the remaining members of the band.
In March 2025, Sony announced the principle cast at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas. This includes Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. All four films are scheduled to be released in April 2028.
In the latest news from the production, Deadline revealed the three British screenwriters who will be working on the movies – Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne. It is not yet known if the writers will be working together or separately.
Butterworth has worked on many successful film releases, including Tom Cruise sci-fi Edge Of Tomorrow; award-winner Ford V Ferrari; and Bond film Spectre with Mendes. He also wrote music biopic Get On Up, about the life of James Brown.
The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, directed by Sam Mendes.
Harris Dickinson (John Lennon)
Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney)
Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr)
Joseph Quinn (George Harrison)
In theatres April 2028. #TheBeatlesFourFilmCinematicEvent pic.twitter.com/mREL0nPcfC— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) April 1, 2025
Straughan is an award-winning screenwriter who recently won an Oscar for his work on the religious thriller Conclave. He also won a BAFTA for spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and penned all 12 episodes of TV hit Wolf Hall.
Thorne will be best known to viewers and the co-creator of Netflix sensation Adolescence, which he wrote alongside star Stephen Graham. He also wrote all three This Is England TV Miniseries, and the show His Dark Materials. In film, he was the screenwriter on Enola Holmes and its sequel, as well as the forthcoming sci-fi blockbuster Tron: Ares.
In April, John Lennon’s sister talked about the production, saying she hadn’t been approached about it and that she believed someone from Liverpool should have been cast as the singer (Harris Dickinson is from London). “Yes, of course” she replied when asked if it should be a scouser playing him. “No one else can get that Liverpool intonation. Nobody”.