Sony Pictures is about to stage a cinematic British Invasion. At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, the annual event for exhibitors and Hollywood studios that runs this year from March 31 to April 3, director Sam Mendes stunned theater owners with a bold announcement: all four of his Beatles biopics — each told from the perspective of a different member of the Fab Four — will hit theaters one after the other throughout April 2028.
That’s right, an entire month dedicated to John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
And yes, the cast is just as impressive as the concept:
- Paul McCartney will be portrayed by Aftersun and Gladiator II star Paul Mescal.
- John Lennon will be played by rising star Harris Dickinson.
- George Harrison is in the capable hands of Joseph Quinn, fresh off Stranger Things and A Quiet Place: Day One and the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps.
- Ringo Starr will be brought to life by the ever-unpredictable Barry Keoghan (The Batman, Saltburn).
“We’re not just making one film about The Beatles — we’re making four,” Mendes told the crowd. “Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.”
Each film will dive into the same timeline of events but through the unique lens of its subject, promising a Rashomon-style storytelling structure never attempted at this scale in cinema.
Mendes, along with producers Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor for Neal Street Productions, secured unprecedented access from Apple Corps. And Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman didn’t hold back in hyping the rollout: “We are going to dominate the culture that month,” he said. He also dubbed the films “the first binge-able theatrical experience.”
The cast — all four actors — capped off the announcement by reciting lyrics from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band before taking a synchronized Fab Four bow.
Why It Matters
The Beatles are the best-selling music act in history, and their influence on pop culture is unrivaled. Sony is banking on this innovative approach — a theatrical “event series” — to turn April 2028 into a cultural juggernaut. Think Barbenheimer, but with mop-tops and melody.
Got a favorite Beatle? Think this release strategy is genius or just plain crazy? Let us know — we’ll be ready with a cuppa tea and some Sgt. Pepper hot takes.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
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