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"That's Not How We Were": 4-Part Beatles Movies Received One Key Script Note From Original Band Member
Sam Mendes may be attempting the world’s most ambitious musical biopic project with The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, but one original Beatle is ensuring it stays to true to the band’s history. Originally announced in February 2024, Mendes’ four-part exploration of the Fab Four will feature a movie told from the perspective of each band member.
Back in May this year, Barry Keoghan, who is set to portray The Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr, revealed that his fellow castmates had engaged in an intensive 17-week band bootcamp in preparation for the films. Keoghan is also set to be joined by Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney), Harris Dickinson (John Lennon), and Joseph Quinn (George Harrison).
Speaking with the New York Times, the real-life Starr revealed that he previously sat down with Mendes to go over the four films’ scripts. Highlighting that while the director had employed an excellent screenwriter, the original scenes between him and his first wife, Maureen Starkey Tigrett, did not happen at all as they were written. Check out his comments below:
He had a writer — very good writer, great reputation, and he wrote it great, but it had nothing to do with Maureen and I. That’s not how we were. I’d say, ‘We would never do that.’
Starr also went on to explain that after giving his notes, he is now much happier with the revised scripts, but is unsure how Mendes plans to balance filming four movies at once. Nonetheless, the famous Beatle suggested that Mendes will continue “do what he’s doing, and I’ll send him peace and love.”
Ringo Is Not Alone In Questioning The Size Of Sam Mendes’ Plans
Given that the lives of The Beatles have inspired countless movies, documentaries, and books over the years, Mendes’ films must offer something new to audiences. While the ambitious plans to make four movies at once certainly qualify in that regard, Starr is not alone in wondering if the task is too ambitious for him to handle.
While it is a gamble worthy of the legacy of the world’s best-known band, the sheer scope of the project would likely prove daunting to even the most experienced filmmakers.
With all four Beatles movies planned for theatrical release in April 2028, Mendes is creating what is already being marketed as the world’s “first binge-able theatrical experience.” While it is a gamble worthy of the legacy of the world’s best-known band, the sheer scope of the project would likely prove daunting to even the most experienced filmmakers.
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Nonetheless, Mendes appears to be putting in the effort to ensure that his films stick closely to the real-life history of The Beatles as possible, and the ability to have an original band member provides notes on his scripts will help ensure a more faithful end product.
Our Take On Mendes Making Four Beatles Movies At Once
The Skyfall Director’s Gamble Is As Big As The Band Itself
With movie audiences increasingly forgoing traditional theatrical experiences in a world dominated by the convenience of streaming content, Mendes’ plans to simultaneously film and release four interconnected movies at once may just succeed in drawing fans back into cinemas. With such an enormous gamble, however, comes an equally daunting set of risks.
Beyond the financial implications of having not one, but four, high-profile releases potentially bomb at the box office, Mendes is also seeking to put his own spin on pop-culture icons whose legacy continues to inspire fans more than 55 years after The Beatles officially broke up.
Much like Starr, there a countless Beatles fans also sending Mendes their silent wishes and hoping that The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event succeeds in the face of overwhelming odds.
Source: The New York Times
