A movie each for Paul, John, George and Ringo
By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --The Beatles are getting the big-screen biopic treatment in not just one film, but a Fab Four of movies that will give each band member their own spotlight — all of which are to be directed by Sam Mendes.
For the first time, the Beatles, long among the stingiest rights granters, are giving full life and music rights to a movie project. Sony Pictures announced Monday a deal that may dwarf all music biopics that have come before it, with the stories of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr spread out over a quartet of films.
The films, conceived by Mendes, are expected to roll out theatrically in innovative fashion, with the movies potentially coexisting or intersecting in theaters. Precise release plans will be announced at a later date. Sony is targeting 2027 for their release.
McCartney, Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison have all signed off on the project through the band's Apple Corps. Ltd. Sony Music Publishing controls the rights to the majority of Beatles songs.
"I'm honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies," Mendes said in a statement.
Each film will be from the perspective of a Beatle.
"We intend this to be a uniquely thrilling, and epic cinematic experience: four films, told from four different perspectives which tell a single story about the most celebrated band of all time," said producer Pippa Harris. "To have The Beatles' and Apple Corps' blessing to do this is an immense privilege."
The Beatles' most famous forays into film were in their early years. Between 1964 and 1970, they appeared in five movies, including "A Hard Day's Night" (1964) and the animated "Yellow Submarine" (1968). They've, of course, been the subject of many documentaries, most recently Peter Jackson's 2021 "The Beatles: Get Back."
In 2023, the Beatles reunited with the aid of artificial intelligence in the newly released song "Now and Then." The recording was made possible by technology used by Jackson on "Get Back," and featured a music video made by the New Zealand director.
Attempts to dramatize the Beatles' story have been more sporadic and less impactful. A 1979 biopic, made when Lennon was still alive, called "The Birth of the Beatles" was produced with Beatles original drummer Pete Best as an adviser. The 1994 indie drama "Backbeat" chronicled Lennon's relationship with Stuart Sutcliffe before the Beatles were famous. "Nowhere Boy" (2009) starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a teenage Lennon.
But in the last decade, music biopics have become big business. Box-office hits like "Bohemian Rhapsody,""Rocketman" and "Elvis" have sent Hollywood executives chasing the next jukebox blockbuster. Over Presidents Day weekend, "Bob Marley: One Love," produced with the Marley estate, was the No. 1 movie in theaters. A Michael Jackson biopic is in production.
"Theatrical movie events today must be culturally seismic. Sam's daring, large-scale idea is that and then some," said Tom Rothman, chair and chief executive of Sony Pictures' Motion Picture Group.
The combination of Mendes' team "with the music and the stories of four young men who changed the world, will rock audiences all over the globe," Rothman said. "We are deeply grateful to all parties and look forward ourselves to breaking some rules with Sam's uniquely artistic vision."
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SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More