Sam Mendes to direct 4 Beatles films, each from different band members' perspectives

“I’m honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time," Mendes said.

Never mind "Eight Days a Week." How about four films about The Beatles in a single year?

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes has announced that he will direct a quartet of theatrical films about the legendary British pop combo with each movie relating the story of the Fab Four from a different member's point of view. Mendes' previous directing credits include 1999's American Beautiful and the James Bond movies Skyfall and Spectre. Sony will release the four Beatles films in 2027.

Liverpudlian beat combo The Beatles, from left to right Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon (1940 - 1980), and George Harrison (1943 - 2001), performing in front of a camera-shaped drum kit on Granada TV's Late Scene Extra television show filmed in Manchester, England on November 25, 1963.
The Beatles.

Hulton Archive/Getty

The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison) have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.

“I’m honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies,” said Mendes in a statement.

Sam Mendes attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Searchlight Pictures "Empire of Light" at Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California.
Sam Mendes.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The Beatles have previously been the subject of various scripted films and documentaries, including Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back which used vintage footage to detail the making of the 1970 album Let It Be. The band themselves starred in several films, starting with 1964's A Hard Day's Night.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

Related Articles