Sony Pictures confirms that BAFTA winner Mia McKenna-Bruce, four-time Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Saoirse Ronan, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Anna Sawai, and Emmy nominee and BAFTA TV winner Aimee Lou Wood will star in The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event, directed by Sam Mendes and produced by Neal Street Productions.
McKenna-Bruce will portray Maureen (Cox) Starkey, Ronan will play Linda (Eastman) McCartney, Sawai takes on the role of Yoko Ono, and Wood will portray Pattie Boyd.
“Maureen, Linda, Yoko and Pattie are four fascinating and unique figures in their own right, and I am thrilled that we have persuaded four of the most talented women working in film today to join this amazing adventure,” said Mendes.
Maureen Cox, portrayed by McKenna-Bruce, was an early Beatles devotee who met Ringo Starr at the Cavern Club in 1962. Their relationship moved quickly, leading to their marriage in 1965 and three children.
Linda Eastman, played by Ronan, was a celebrated photographer when she met Paul McCartney in 1967. The two shared an immediate connection, with McCartney later recalling, “The first time I saw her, I just knew.”
Sawai will portray Yoko Ono, the Japanese artist John Lennon first met at a London exhibition of her work. Although Lennon was married at the time, he was immediately drawn to her creativity and presence, forming a lifelong personal and artistic partnership.
Wood stars as Pattie Boyd, a successful model who met George Harrison on the set of the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night in 1964. Their romance blossomed into marriage, with Boyd sharing Harrison’s growing interest in Eastern philosophy.
Casting announcements for Cynthia Lennon, Brian Epstein, George Martin, Ravi Shankar and other key figures will follow.
Starring Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan, Paul Mescal and Joseph Quinn, the four films mark the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted project. Conceived by Mendes, the films present four distinct theatrical features, each told from the perspective of a different band member. Together, they form an interconnected portrait of the greatest band in history.
The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event is produced by Neal Street in association with Apple Corps for Sony Pictures. Mendes produces alongside Neal Street partners Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor, with Alexandra Derbyshire also producing.
Sony Pictures will finance and distribute the films globally, with full theatrical releases planned for April 2028.
Mia McKenna-Bruce rose to prominence with her acclaimed performance in How to Have Sex, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Un Certain Regard award. She received the BAFTA Rising Star Award and the British Independent Film Award for Best Lead Performance.
Saoirse Ronan is celebrated for her versatile work in Little Women, Lady Bird, Atonement and Brooklyn. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Lady Bird and is the second-youngest performer to earn four Academy Award nominations.
Anna Sawai earned widespread acclaim for her breakout role in Shogun, receiving the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama.
Aimee Lou Wood is known for her Emmy-nominated performance in the third season of The White Lotus and for her breakout role in Sex Education, which earned her the BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance.
McKenna-Bruce is represented by 42 Management, UTA and Luber Roklin. Ronan is represented by CAA. Sawai is represented by WME, 42, United Agents and Chris Abramson. Wood is represented by CAA, Independent and Sloane, Offer, Weber, Dern.
The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event will be distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, the local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.
