Fans have been going around online posting up their fancasts for John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, and now it looks like we could have our shortlist.

According to The InSneider (via @DiscussingFilm), the final lineup of actors being eyed to play the Fab Four include Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Charlie Rowe as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.

The 4 ‘BEATLES’ biopics will reportedly star:

• Harris Dickinson as John Lennon
• Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney
• Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr
• Charlie Rowe as George Harrison

(Source: https://t.co/XaYKdIm4ny) pic.twitter.com/hqtx5E1olm

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 5, 2024

Admittedly, there are some fans who thought that the films would be casting some more unknown actors to play the role of these larger than life musicians, but it does make sense that they would cast some high-profile young actors to play the Beatles at the height of their popularity.

Mendes himself is expected to direct all four films, and they are aiming to shoot in the UK in the middle of 2025. It’s also expected that the movies will all release in 2027 rolling out in the winter, spring, summer, and fall. It isn’t said in what order the films will be released though.

I’ll admit, it’s a very unique idea to approach a musical biopic, and hopefully Sam Mendes ends up with a banger for each film. With the last Beatles film Yesterday coming out a bit lukewarm, hopefully this ‘Beatles Cinematic Universe’ can introduce a new generation of fans to the music of one of the most influential rock bands of all time.

No official release date has been announced for the Beatles biopics, but you can watch the remastered Let it Be now on Disney+.

Here’s the first trailer for The Beach Boys documentary:

Here’s the official description:

“The Beach Boys” is a celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come. The documentary traces the band from humble family beginnings and features never-before-seen footage and all-new interviews with The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks, Bruce Johnston, plus other luminaries in the music business, including Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monáe, Ryan Tedder, and Don Was. Viewers will also hear from the group’s Carl and Dennis Wilson in their own words, plus view a new interview with Blondie Chaplin and hear audio from Ricky Fataar.

It’s also worth noting that the movie is directed by Frank Marshall, who has helmed documentaries for the BeeGees (How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) and Carole King and James Taylor (Just Call Out My Name).

Though The Beach Boys did start out as an easygoing Surf-Rock band, the evolution of their style and songwriting is considered to be one of the most influential when it comes to music—especially thanks to their composer/songwriter Brian Wilson, who is considered by many artists (even the Beatles’ Paul McCartney) to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

Admittedly, Wilson’s story did get the spotlight in the biopic Love & Mercy starring Paul Dano and John Cusack, but The Beach Boys looks to be putting the focus on the entire family and just how the band was formed and how they changed throughout the years.

The Beach Boys starts streaming on Disney+ starting May 24.

Seeing that it costs a lot of money to put a Beatles song in a movie, showrunner Russell T. Davies talks about writing a whole episode centered on the Beatles without featuring any music from the band. He talks to Empire:

“I knew instantly you can never play Beatles songs on screen because the copyright is too expensive. So I’m thinking, ‘How would you do a Beatles episode without Beatles music?’ And that becomes the entire plot… That’s where the idea came from – copyright law!”

We don’t know specifically how the Beatles will factor into the episode The Devil’s Chord, but it does look like the villain is an alien that has looks like she can manipulate music. We also see Gatwa’s Doctor taking center stage for some musical performances, so while we may not have a lot of Beatles songs, it’s likely we could have maybe one or two songs.

Oddly enough, this does feel like it’s the first time we’re getting historical figures in the show that are from more recent history. Van Gogh and Shakespeare may have been long gone by the time they showed up on Who, but Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are pretty much still alive. You think they would be open to making an appearance?

Watch out for The Devil’s Chord when Doctor Who shows on the BBC this coming May 10.

As per Deadline, director Sam Mendes (1917, Skyfall) and Neal Street Productions are teaming up with Sony Pictures Entertainment to deliver, not one, but four standalone Beatles movies, each one telling the story of each member. The site writes:

“Mendes conceived this grand vision. He’ll tell interconnected stories, one from each band member’s point of view. The dating cadence of the films will be revealed closer to the films’ release.”

With each member of the band being larger than life on their own, it does kind of make sense that they would try to tell their story across four movies; but I think a safer route would have been a connected miniseries.

Then again, with the Beatles also having their own influence in film with movies like Hard Day’s Night and Yellow Submarine, some fans have been pitching that each biopic would be a different kind of genre.

This can only work if they are all vastly different genres:

Paul: typical Hollywood musical biopic

John: heart-rending romantic drama about him and Yoko

George: animated spiritual odyssey that's more tone poem than linear story

Ringo: screwball comedy https://t.co/Rge3n3d1Tf

— retro anime possum (@KaiserBeamz) February 20, 2024

With the recent rise of musical biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody, Elvis, and Rocketman, it was only a matter of time before someone got to The Beatles. I’ll admit, the concept of four theatrical films does seem like a huge gamble, but it should be a huge payoff if they manage to deliver.

No release date has been set for the four Beatles solo movies.

Watch the clip for the Beatles documentary down here:

It’s worth noting that the footage in the film has been enhanced in the same way as the vintage reels used for Jackson’s previous documentary, They Shall Not Grow Old. While there already is a Let It Be documentary, Jackson’s Get Back was said to have had access in decades-old, never-before-seen footage, offering a more intimate look at The Beatles and their creative process.

With Danny Boyle’s Yesterday introducing a new generation of fans to the music of The Beatles back in 2019, the timing of this documentary is perfect for fans who want to know more about the actual Fab Four. It’s fascinating how the band’s legacy has managed to endure through several generations of music lovers.

The Disney+ original docuseries, directed by Peter Jackson, will be arriving on Disney+ just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Made entirely from never-before-seen, restored footage, it provides the most intimate and honest glimpse into the creative process and relationship between John, Paul, George, and Ringo ever filmed.

Catch The Beatles: Get Back when it hits Disney+ on Nov. 25, and the remaining two episodes releasing on the consecutive dates.

Watch the trailer for The Beatles: Get Back down here:

Here’s the official description:

The Disney+ original docuseries, directed by Peter Jackson, will be arriving on Disney+ just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Made entirely from never-before-seen, restored footage, it provides the most intimate and honest glimpse into the creative process and relationship between John, Paul, George, and Ringo ever filmed. 

This documentary was said to have been compiled from 60 hours-worth of footage shot over 21 days with director Michael Lindsay-Hogg. While the Beatles had officially broke up a year later, here we actually get to watch them still stick to their creative process and bicker among themselves while they write the final pieces of music they will ever create together.

After working on The Hobbit trilogy essentially broke Peter Jackson, he has since found a new love for making documentary films like They Shall Not Grow Old. There has been a resurgence of love for the Beatles recently, especially with the release of Yesterday back in 2019. Hopefully fans will have something new and insightful to find with this latest project from the Lord of the Rings helmer.

The first part of The Beatles: Get Back comes out on Nov. 25 on Disney+ with the additional two parts coming out on the 26^th and 27^th.