Beatles News
Sam Mendes's upcoming project, The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event is truly a beast the likes of which cinema has never seen before. In April 2028, four new biopics – each one focussing on a different Beatle – will release on the same day, giving fans the opportunity to binge them all in the cinema at once.
Mendes is directing all four movies, while three different writers are confirmed to be attached to the project – Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne.
Butterworth is a celebrated Olivier-award-winning playwright and screenwriter who worked with Mendes previously on Spectre. Straughan is fresh from a trio of wins (BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Oscar) for his screenplay for Conclave, and Thorne (Adolescence) is a prolific writer who has collaborated with Mendes in the theatre, when the latter directed his play The Motive and the Cue.
With a wealth of talent behind the scenes (including rewrites at the request of real-life Beatles), it's no surprise that fans are already itching to find out more about the project, despite the movies not coming out for another two years.
It has been confirmed already that all four Beatles will appear in all four films, and that much of the cast will be featuring across the entire quartet.
The list of confirmed actors so far is as follows. Scroll down for more information about the stars.
Harris Dickinson as John Lennon
Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney
Joseph Quinn as George Harrison
Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr
Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney
James Norton as Brian Epstein
Mia McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Starkey
Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono
Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd
Harry Lloyd as George Martin
David Morrissey as Jim McCartney
Leanne Best as Mimi Smith
Bobby Schofield as Neil Aspinall
Daniel Hoffmann-Gill as Mal Evans
Arthur Darvill as Derek Taylor
Adam Pally as Allen Klein
Harris Dickinson plays John Lennon
Source: Alex Hewitt/radiotimes.com
The Beatles were already reaching breaking point when they were working on The White Album; countless fights, arguments, and walkouts almost became a typical day in the studio with the Fab Four, with some songs heading to the trash can rather than the album. One of the songs was a song that George Harrison wrote, which was “Not Guilty,” even after over 100 takes.
"Not Guilty" Was Inspired by the Beatles' Trip to India. George Harrison brought this iconic song to a Beatles rehearsal and it was rejected.
The trip was partially to do with Harrison associating the band with Indian instrumentation and the teachings of the Maharishi. However, The Beatles quickly denounced the Maharishi after rumors began to spread about alleged inappropriate advances to female students. While Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were not as interested in the Maharishi, Lennon would write “Sexy Sadie” to hit out at the Maharishi after the rumors spread. Why Was "Not Guilty" Rejected?
The Beatles are considered the greatest band for many reasons, with one of them being due to having extremely high standards in their music. Even after 102 takes, the band, including Harrison, was not 100% happy with “Not Guilty,” but that was not why it was rejected. The recording executives chose to leave it off the album, to Harrison’s dismay, due to its lyrical content, as it revealed his growing tensions and frustrations with McCartney and Lennon. Not wanting to expose the band’s ongoing tension and strife, it was ultimately decided that “Not Guilty” would be excluded. However, to Lennon’s delight, “Sexy Sadie” made its way onto the tracklist.
Despite using 102 takes, only 20 of these takes were completed. A great amount of the takes were time spent perfecting and learning the song. However, with 102 takes of learning and recording “Not Guilty,” a song that expressed Harrison’s frustrations with McCartney and Lennon, the other members became less interested in recording the song. Sadly, 102 takes would end up being meaningless.
Surrounded by press, The Beatles wave at fans as they arrive in New York City in 1964.
Source: Teguan Harris/collider.com
Among their many other recommending characteristics, The Beatles could bring about a joyous feeling in their listeners as well as anyone. It’s difficult to listen to them for too long without a smile creeping up on your face.
Certain songs in their catalog elicit wider grins than others, of course. This quartet of tracks stands out from the pack for the happiness quotient each of the songs delivers. “I Saw Her Standing There”
It’s difficult to pick just one song from The Beatles first year of recording for this list. There are so many tracks from that time period that deliver the goods in the joy department. We’re going with “I Saw Her Standing There” for several reasons. The music rushes along at a heightened speed without stopping for too long to contemplate. Meanwhile, the story is aspirational and satisfying. Although it’s unspoken, the narrator seems to be punching above his weight class as he prepares to woo the girl of his dreams across the dance floor. Yet there they are at song’s end, living happily ever after. And let’s not count out the power of the “whoo” shouts that punctuate each verse.
“I Feel Fine”
Conflicting recollections of the participants involved make it impossible to know if the feedback the band created at the beginning of “I Feel Fine” was a happy accident or a calculated plan. In any case, it’s a thrilling start to a song that just keeps raising the ebullience stakes from there. There’s a little bit of Motown in his track, both in terms of the chugging rhythm and the interweaving backing vocals. Unlike “I Saw Her Standing There”, the narrator here already has the love of his favorite girl in his pocket when the song begins. And the knowledge of how she feels about him is so powerfully joy-inducing that he has no choice but to share it with “all the world.” That phrase is a good estimation for the Fab Four’s listening audience circa 1964.
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
A rose garden honouring the 'fifth Beatle' is being created at Strawberry Field. Work is almost complete on a memorial rose garden in honour of the late Sir George Martin CBE and his wife Lady Judy Martin.
Sir George Martin was the Beatles’ long-time producer and collaborator, often dubbed ‘the fifth Beatle’, though his impressive career saw him work with other huge names such as Céline Dion, Elton John and Shirley Bass.
Before her passing in 2024, Lady Martin envisioned the creation of the rose garden as a lasting tribute to her husband and personally gifted Strawberry Field with rose bushes, thoughtfully chosen from David Austin, which will now form the centrepiece of the special memorial.
The garden at the iconic venue will honour both Sir George and Lady Martin - who was a patron of Strawberry Field - shaped with the involvement and support of their children, Lucie Kitchener and Giles Martin.
Donated by Cliff Cooper, CEO of Orange Amps, it will be the first public memorial of its kind dedicated to the legendary Beatles’ producer.
Work progresses on the memorial rose garden for Sir George Martin at Strawberry Field, Liverpool.placeholder image
Work progresses on the memorial rose garden for Sir George Martin at Strawberry Field, Liverpool. | Ian Fairbrother
It will feature a striking curved wall will feature a biography of his career engraved in Portland stone alongside 30 discs commemorating the No.1 UK hit singles produced by Sir George Martin during his celebrated career.
Designed as a place of peace and reflection, the 95 square metre accessible garden will also include a calming water feature, and a circular raised rose bed with seating areas, offering visitors a beautiful and contemplative space within the historic Strawberry Field grounds.
The Sir George and Lady Martin Rose Garden is scheduled to open in spring 2026.
Source: Emma Dukes/liverpoolworld.uk
George Harrison's best solo album is also his biggest hit, having sold more than all of his other LPs combined. John Lennon's worst solo album is likewise his lowest-selling classic-era release. He barely cracked the Top 50, much less the Top 40.
But elsewhere, there's a notable anomaly within the Beatles' lengthy solo discography: Their best-selling albums aren't always the best – and their worst-selling albums aren't always the worst, either.
For instance, Lennon's second proper solo project, 1971's double-platinum chart-topping Imagine, was the top-seller released under his own name. Yet the following list of best (and worst) solo albums by every member of the Beatles doesn't include it.
What Was the Worst Beatles Solo Album?
Harrison's worst album nearly cracked the Top 10 in both the U.S. and his native U.K., and included a smash No. 2 hit single. He had albums that fared far, far worse on the charts.
At the same time, 1971's Wild Life was Paul McCartney's biggest classic-era flop – despite introducing his next pop juggernaut of a band, Wings. That, however, wasn't his worst album. Instead, it's one that topped the U.K. charts on the way to a gold certification in America. McCartney's top-selling album isn't his best, either.
Ringo Starr is the only former Beatles star whose albums tended to garner similar reactions from critics and fans. His best album is his top-selling solo release, the only one to reach the Top 10 in the U.K. and U.S., and his only platinum-seller. Similarly, Starr's worst is also his lowest-charting ever, at a paltry No. 162. (To be fair, however, Starr has more than 10 LPs that never charted at all in the U.K., and four in the U.S.)
So, expect some surprises as we rank the best (and worst) solo album by every member of the Beatles: The Best (and Worst) Solo Album by Every Member of the Beatles
Their best-selling albums aren't always the best – and their worst-selling albums aren't always the worst, either.
Source: Nick DeRiso/ultimateclassicrock.com
Robbie Williams surpasses The Beatles with 16 UK No. 1 albums. Williams delayed Britpop's release to avoid competition with Taylor Swift’s album. “Britpop is the record I’ve always wanted to make...means everything to me,” said Williams.
For nearly six decades, The Beatles have held the record for the most No. 1 albums in the U.K. Now, that title belongs to Robbie Williams. With his latest release, Britpop, the singer earns his 16th chart-topper, pushing him past the Fab Four.
The milestone comes after Williams made the decision to delay Britpop’s release to avoid direct competition with Taylor Swift — a move that ultimately proved to be well worth the wait.
The former Take That member officially surpassed the long-standing benchmark after the album debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart.
Williams had been tied with The Beatles since January 2025, when the soundtrack for his biopic, Better Man, claimed the top spot. His chart-topping catalog now includes 12 solo studio albums, two greatest hits collections, the Better Man soundtrack and his 2022 compilation XXV.
“Britpop is the record I’ve always wanted to make, and seeing it become my 16th Number 1 album means everything to me,” Williams said in a press statement.
“Thank you to all the fans who have been with me every step of the way. You’ve made my dreams come true.”
The Beatles had held the record since 1967, when Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band topped the charts, with their most recent No. 1 coming in 2000 via the compilation 1.
Williams was transparent about his ambitions when he announced the album delay in October 2025.
Speaking to fans during a London performance, he explained the timing, saying, “We’re all pretending [the scheduling change] is not about Taylor Swift, but it f****** is. You can’t compete with that.”
At the time, Swift had just released The Life of a Showgirl, and as expected, it soared to the top of the charts. The release earned her 15th No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
“I was worried about making you [fans] all wait for the record,” he continued. “But then I was like, ‘F*** it’ … How many times in your life do you get to have the most No. 1 albums the U.K. has f****** ever had?”
Now, Williams is preparing to return to the stage, with a short U.K. tour performing Life Thru a Lens and Britpop in full, followed by a summer European run.
Source: Isabella Torregiani/parade.com
May Pang is an American Chinese former music executive and personal assistant to John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono. Pang eventually became Lennon’s lover and companion in the 1970s, during what is known as his “Lost Weekend.” The exhibition can be encompassed in three words: surprise, happiness and moment.
“Everybody comes in and they're very surprised when they see these photos, because they've never seen him look so happy,” Pang said. “All these photos are of the moment.”
The exhibition, titled “The Lost Weekend: the Photography of May Pang,” will showcase unseen candid photos of John Lennon and friends taken in 1973 to 1975, and coincides with the digital release of the feature film documentary on Lennon, Pang and their relationship, titled, “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story.”
“I want them to see the John that I knew. So when they come in, they'll see this John Lennon,” Pang said. “That's not the [John] who he was with – whether it be with Cynthia or with Yoko. This is the John that was with me.”
The event will be hosted on Friday, Feb. 20 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, Feb. 22 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Winterville Cultural Center, 371 N. Church St. Admission is free, and limited photos are available for purchase. Pang will be present throughout the weekend to meet visitors, share stories and discuss her experiences, according to a press release.
Source: Carolyn Diver/redandblack.com
Sting guitarist & author of "The Beatles Arranged for Solo Guitar," Dominic Miller, argued in a recent interview with Rick Beato that the competitive dynamic between Paul McCartney and John Lennon drove both to become better songwriters and ultimately shaped The Beatles' legendary output.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon are widely considered to be some of the best songwriters to grace the pop music scene. And while the duo's relationship is often perceived as an integral part of The Beatles' story, "they never really wrote songs together", as the legendary band's famous producer & unofficial "fifth Beatle," George Martin, told Rolling Stone in 1976.
"John would write the germ of something and say, 'I'm having trouble with the middle eight, what do you think?' Paul would say, 'Try this,'" Martin said of the extent of their collaboration at the time. Milller, who's been delving deep into the inner workings of The Beatles for his recent songbook, "The Beatles Arranged for Solo Guitar," described the McCartney-Lennon dynamic similarly during a December 23 interview with Rick Beato, noting the competitive streak that the two icons had to them, and which, he argued, pushed both to be better songwriters (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar):"I think the thing is, with John and Paul, they were kind of challenging each other. So, I think, John, the person he wanted to impress the most was Paul. And Paul, when he'd show up, he'd want to show John, 'Look, I've taken it up another level,' just constantly raising the bar with each other. I think that's what good collaboration is. You know, it's really great. I think that's what happened. And George Martin was the audience."
Source: Ultimate Guitar
The Beatles are still enjoyed around the world to this day, even scooping up a Grammy as recently as last year.
It's hard to believe founder John Lennon was shockingly killed way back in 1980, and Thursday, Jan. 22 marks exactly 45 years since the last portrait of him and Yoko Ono was released to the masses.
On this day in 1981, newsstands were welcomed with Rolling Stone's new issue paying tribute to the couple, particularly the late Lennon, who had died a month and a half earlier at just 40 years of age. On the cover of the coveted magazine was an image of a naked Lennon in a fetal embrace of his clothed wife, now 92.
Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz's portrait became a defining picture of arguably the most photographed married couple in the history of music, according to HISTORY.com.
"You've captured our relationship exactly," Lennon had said to Leibovitz, 76, according to the caption of the Instagram post above from the late musician's official account.
"The '80s were not a romantic time and I asked [John and Yoko] to crawl up together," Leibovitz later said in May 2014 regarding the iconic photo, per the caption above. "I wanted them both to be naked, but Yoko wouldn't take off her pants so I said, 'why don't you keep everything on?' In those days, you pull a Polaroid and the three of us knew right away it was good. I was sent to get John for the cover, not Yoko, because there was still a lot of resentment [towards her]. But when I got there, John said he wanted Yoko on the cover... When he was killed, I went to Rolling Stone and they were mocking up the film. I told them the story and so they put that photo on the cover."
While the Rolling Stone image is sometimes called the final photograph of Lennon, it's actually just the final portrait of him and Yoko together. The final photo of John was taken a few hours after Leibovitz's by a fan, HISTORY.com also reports.
Source: Will Sayre/yahoo.com
A judge in America has raised a provocative hypothetical during legal arguments around President Donald Trump’s use of an 18th-century wartime statute to deport Venezuelan gang members: ‘Could a president deport The Beatles?’
Jennifer Walker Elrod, chief judge of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, asked whether the same law could be deployed against a "British invasion" deemed to be corrupting young minds.
She described her reference to the 1960s moral panic surrounding The Beatles and other British bands as "fanciful". However, a government attorney responded unequivocally that the president possessed such power, and the courts would be unable to prevent its exercise.
“These sort of questions of foreign affairs and the security of the nation are specifically political issues,” said Drew Ensign, an assistant attorney general who was arguing the administration’s case before the full 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ensign said it would be up to Congress to check the president in that scenario.
The unexpected exchange came in the administration's appeal of a ruling by a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit, one of the most conservative courts in the country, that found Trump inappropriately used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 when he targeted the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua last year.
The act has only been invoked three other times in American history, during the War of 1812 and both world wars. A majority of the three-judge panel agreed in last year's ruling with multiple lower court judges and immigration lawyers who brought the case that it cannot be deployed against a gang rather than a belligerent foreign power.
The administration appealed to the full 5th Circuit, and all 17 judges on the court were present for the arguments in New Orleans on Thursday. “Tren de Aragua is committing ordinary crimes that are being dealt with by law enforcement,” Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the ACLU, told the judges. “The Alien Enemies Act is about wartime and it's about the military.”
Several of the judges were concerned about second-guessing the president's determination of a threat to the country. Ensign noted the law allows it to be invoked in attempts of “invasion” or “predatory incursion” and argued that courts should accept a president's declaration that that is happening.
“A predatory incursion is less than an invasion,” Ensign said, arguing that cases involving other laws have determined it happens when foreign fishing boats enter U.S. waters. He also noted that Trump alleged the gang was acting at the behest of recently ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government — an assertion that has been challenged by some law enforcement analysts.
Source: Nicholas Riccardi/the-independent.com
