Award-Winning Writers Join Sam Mendes’ Ambitious Beatles Biopic Series

Following a major announcement at CinemaCon in March, Sam Mendes and Sony Pictures have finalized the team of writers for their ambitious project The Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event.

According to sources reported by Deadline, Tony Award winner Jez Butterworth, Oscar winner Peter Straughan, and BAFTA and Tony winner Jack Thorne will write the screenplays for the four theatrical biopics that will chronicle the story of The Beatles.

It remains unconfirmed whether each writer will take on one film individually or if they will collaborate on all four.

This marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd., The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—or their estates have authorized a scripted film with full rights to their life stories and music.

Unique Perspective for Each Beatle

The four films, directed by Mendes, will each be told from one band member’s perspective. This approach will weave together to narrate the remarkable journey of the band often called the greatest in music history.

The cast includes Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

Sony Pictures will finance and distribute the films globally, with full theatrical releases scheduled for April 2028. The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event is a Neal Street production in association with Apple Corps for Sony Pictures.

Mendes will produce alongside Neal Street partners Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor, with Alexandra Derbyshire also producing.

Writers with Acclaimed Portfolios

Jez Butterworth’s screenwriting credentials include Ford v Ferrari, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Spectre, Black Mass, and Edge of Tomorrow.

He is also a decorated playwright, having written The Ferryman, which earned him a Tony Award, and most recently The Hills of California, which received seven Tony nominations. Both plays were directed by Mendes.

Peter Straughan recently won an Oscar for his screenplay for Conclave, directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini.

He was also nominated for an Academy Award and won a BAFTA for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, co-written with his late wife Bridget O’Connor. His film credits include Our Brand Is Crisis and Frank.

On television, he adapted Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, which won a BAFTA for Best Drama Series, and wrote its sequel Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.

Jack Thorne, a BAFTA and Tony-winning screenwriter and playwright, created the acclaimed Netflix series Adolescence. His film work includes The Swimmers, Enola Holmes and its sequel, The Aeronauts, and Wonder.

His notable television credits include Toxic Town, His Dark Materials, Help, and Best Interests. On stage, Thorne wrote Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and most recently, The Motive and the Cue, directed by Mendes.

Representation and Industry Ties

Butterworth is represented by CAA and Alan Wertheimer at Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

Straughan is represented by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and CAA. Thorne is represented by UTA, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, and Sloane Offer Weber & Dern.

The news confirms that the prestigious trio will be penning the screenplays for Mendes’ quartet of Beatles biopics.

The films, centered on each individual member of The Beatles, are set for a theatrical release in April 2028, featuring Paul Mescal as McCartney, Harris Dickinson as Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Starr, and Joseph Quinn as Harrison.

Rich Backgrounds in Film and Theatre

Butterworth, also the writer of the critically lauded Jerusalem, has long been recognized for his impact on British theatre. His screen credits further solidify his place among top-tier screenwriters.

Straughan continues to build on his reputation following his Oscar win for Conclave. His accolades, including a BAFTA for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, affirm his strong storytelling credentials.

Thorne has achieved wide recognition for both screen and stage work, including This Is England, His Dark Materials, and Toxic Town. His upcoming work includes Tron: Ares, the sequel to Tron: Legacy.

First Authorized Beatles Biopics with Full Rights

This will be the first time Apple, the Beatles’ record company, along with surviving band members McCartney and Starr, have granted rights for a major scripted film about the group.

At CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas, Mendes said, “The Beatles changed my understanding of music,” and admitted, “I’ve been trying to make a movie about them for years.”

He added that the story was “too big for one film” and didn’t fit the TV format. “Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply,” he said.

Sony’s Tom Rothman reportedly described the four interconnected films as “the first bingeable theatrical experience.”

Casting Controversy Surfaces

Despite excitement surrounding the project, some backlash has emerged over the casting of four non-Scouse actors—including two Irish actors—as the iconic Liverpool natives.