'Nothing is off limits': Sam Mendes to direct four Beatles films – one about each member | films

Sam Mendes, Oscar winner for two of the most successful James Bond films ever, is set to take on another multi-million pound British cultural institution: The Beatles.

The director announced that he would direct four separate feature films, one for each band member. The project has the blessing of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison. This is the first time that they and the rights holders have granted Apple the rights to the full story and music of a scripted film.

Mendes explained that the four films will all be released in 2027 and tell interconnected stories, one from each band member's point of view. A press release explained that the films' “dating beat” “will be innovative and groundbreaking.”

“I'm honored to tell the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and I'm excited to challenge the idea of ​​what constitutes a trip to the movies,” he said.

No writers or cast have been announced yet.

Mendes's producer, Pippa Harris, explained that the director had the idea over a year ago, “and it is a testament to his creative brilliance and ability to persuade that Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sean Lennon and Olivia Harrison responded with such warmth and enthusiasm.” Once he talked to them.”

“What's really exciting is that Sam has the freedom to delve into the lives of each Beatle member, without anything being off limits and not feeling like the band wants him to tell a certain 'licensed' version of their rise,” she told Deadline. To success.”

“Today’s theatrical blockbuster events should be a cultural earthquake,” added Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. Sam's bold, wide-ranging idea is that and more. Combining his first filmmaking team, with the music and stories of four young men who changed the world, it will shake audiences around the world. We are extremely grateful to all parties and look forward to breaking some rules with Sam's unique artistic vision.

The Beatles formed in 1960 and changed the course of musical history before breaking up in 1970. In addition to their numerous albums and singles, they have made five features to associate with seismic albums, starting with a hard day's Night In 1964 and ended with Let it be (1970), all of which were well received, except for 1967's Magical Mystery Tour.

Dozens of documentaries have been made about the band, including Ron Howard's The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (2016) and Get Back, Peter Jackson's acclaimed three-part, eight-hour film from 2021.

Some 18 biographical films about the band have also appeared on big and small screens, the most popular being 1994's Backbeat – which focuses on guitarist Stuart Sutcliffe – and 2009's Nowhere Boy, about John Lennon's adolescence.

Last year saw the release of “Now and Then”, claimed to be the final single to feature all four of the main Beatles, featuring McCartney, Harrison and Starr to the accompaniment and editing of a vocal track laid down by John Lennon before his murder in 1980.

Mendes was born in 1965, when Asst! It topped the charts in the United Kingdom and the United States. His most recent film, Empire of Light, was an autobiographical drama set in the early 1980s, and the soundtrack—and plot—incorporated a great deal of contemporary beats.

His first film, American Beauty, won five Academy Awards in 2000, including Best Picture, Director and Leading Actor (for Kevin Spacey). His two James Bond films, Skyfall (2012) and Specter (2015), remain the highest-grossing films in the series, while the former is widely considered to be the most critically acclaimed.

His war film 1917, shot in one take, entered the 2020 Academy Awards with 10 nominations, winning three, but losing on major gongs to Parasite.

Mendes' theatrical career includes high-profile revivals of classic musicals including Cabaret (1993), Oliver! (1994) The Company (1995) and Gypsy (2003). In 2013, he directed the original West End staging of the musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; His latest production, Jez Butterworth's new play California Hills, recently opened in London.