James Norton is set to play Beatles manager Brian Epstein in Sam Mendes’ sprawling Beatles project, which is currently titled “The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.”
The four films will be released by Sony in April 2028.
Norton will join Paul Mescal (as Paul McCartney), Barry Keoghan (as Ringo Starr), Joseph Quinn (as George Harrison) and Harris Dickinson (as John Lennon). Each film will explore the life of a different band member. Saoirse Ronan is playing Linda McCartney.
In 1961, Epstein discovered the band at a lunchtime concert at Liverpool’s Cavern Club. He took them on as clients and reshaped their image from a local club act to a global phenomenon. He secured a record contract for the band and was considered “the fifth Beatle” as he was instrumental in their rise.
Mendes’ “Beatles” project will be written by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne, with cinematography handled by the great Greig Fraser. The films are a collaboration between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Mendes’ Neal Street Productions.
They will be produced by Mendes, Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor of Neal Street, as well as Alexandra Derbyshire, in association with Apple Corps for Sony Pictures. This is the first time that the Beatles and Apple Corps Ltd. have allowed the use of the band’s story and music in scripted films.
Other Beatles-based films include 2007’s jukebox musical “Across the Universe” (also distributed by Sony), Danny Boyle’s “Yesterday” from 2019, 1994’s Beatles origin story movie “Backbeat” and, of course, 1968’s animated masterpiece “Yellow Submarine.”
Norton most recently wrapped production on the third season of HBO’s “House of the Dragon.” He is repped by WME and The Artists Partnership.
Deadline first reported the news.
Reps for Sony declined to comment.
