Sam Mendes’ Four-Part Beatles Saga to Release in April 2028; Producer Recommends One Film a Week

Sam Mendes, the filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning Skyfall, is taking on an unprecedented project with The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event. Rather than telling the band’s story in a single movie, the ambitious venture will comprise four separate features, each exploring the group’s journey through the eyes of one member. All four films are scheduled for a simultaneous theatrical rollout in April 2028. With each instalment reportedly carrying a budget of around $100 million, the entire production is expected to cost upwards of $400 million, arrogating it to among the most ambitious music biopics ever undertaken.

Beatles Biopics Release Strategy Explained

During a panel at the BFI London Film Festival, producer Pippa Harris has outlined the release strategy: "At the moment, the films will come out in 2028, and we want people to be able to experience them in the cinema at the same time, during the same period". Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event stars Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon.

“Now that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re thinking that people will go and see all four films on the same day. But within the same month, you might see one a week, or you might see one film one weekend and another the next. However you do it, we hope that people will see all four films.”

The screenplays for the films have been developed by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne, with Mendes at the helm. The project brings together Sony Pictures Entertainment and Mendes’ Neal Street Productions, with Mendes, Harris, Julie Pastor and Alexandra Derbyshire serving as producers, alongside Apple Corps. In a historic first, The Beatles and Apple Corps Ltd. have granted permission for the band’s members’ personal stories and music to be incorporated into scripted feature films.

Sony’s biggest gamble lies in how audiences respond during the opening weekend. Releasing all four Beatles biopics within the same month means the films will be closely tied to one another’s reception. A disappointing start for the first instalment could sully the fate for the other titles. The release plan could also put Sony in the unusual position of competing with its own titles for screens across the same multiplexes.