On a London street, a line of people walks across a zebra crossing in front of the camera — a scene fans caught on their phones and posted online, one that needs almost no explanation. It's a direct recreation of the 1969 'Abbey Road' album cover, except the four people crossing aren't the Beatles themselves, but the actors set to play them in Sam Mendes' upcoming four-part biopic series.
According to NME, on-set footage leaked on August 16 shows Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, dressed in outfits nearly identical to the original cover, walking across the same crosswalk in the same formation. Another leaked clip shows Quinn crossing the street alone, with the other three passing by from the side — likely remnants of the crew filming separate angles.
The four films, collectively titled "The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event," each focus on one member, with Mendes directing all four himself. They're currently scheduled for simultaneous release on April 7, 2028. The studio has already released first-look photos of the four leads in costume, and the series marks the first film project to secure the rights to the Beatles' entire music catalog.
The cast list was gradually revealed late last year, with David Morrissey, Leanne Best, Bobby Schofield, and James Norton joining the production. Additionally, Saoirse Ronan will play Linda McCartney, Anna Sawai will play Yoko Ono, Aimee Lou Wood will play Pattie Boyd, and Mia McKenna-Bruce will play Maureen Starkey.
Mescal previously said that when it comes to this series, "the less audiences know going in, the better." He described being part of it as something that leaves him and the other leads "constantly pinching ourselves to check it's real." He called the project "completely one of a kind," adding, "it's not just the scale that excites me, but getting to build genuinely solid performances with Sam and such great writers." He also mentioned that being able to stay in London for work has been a rare stretch of stability during what he called the "crazy six, seven years" since 'Normal People' blew up. As for playing McCartney, he revealed he'll be singing the part himself and spent time with McCartney in person while preparing for the role.
Keoghan described the project in a different tone: "This is going to be an event, we knew that from the start. Being part of something like this is so exciting, and there's no one better suited to direct it than Sam. I'm having a fucking blast, I'm sharpening my craft, and I'm genuinely making friends on set."
As for what McCartney himself thinks of his on-screen counterpart? He previously described Mescal as "very cute" — a comment that may have cemented this casting in the public's mind faster than any official announcement ever could.
