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In A Hard Day’s Night (1964) and Help! (1965), the Beatles played themselves. In Sam Mendes’ announced The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event, four actors portray them: Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. Sony Pictures has planned the event for theatrical release in April 2028; that is a target window, not a completed release. The Beatles’ official film index also lists other films and documentaries, so this side-by-side focuses on the two early features and the announced four-film project.
Beatles movies cast: the Fab Four and the announced actors
| Beatle | Played himself in the early films | Actor announced for the four-film event |
|---|---|---|
| John Lennon | John Lennon as John | Harris Dickinson |
| Paul McCartney | Paul McCartney as Paul | Paul Mescal |
| George Harrison | George Harrison as George | Joseph Quinn |
| Ringo Starr | Ringo Starr as Ringo | Barry Keoghan |
The original-film roles are documented on the official pages for A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. The new lead pairings were announced by Sony Pictures. They are announced casting, not final on-screen credits.
Who plays John, Paul, George and Ringo?
- Who plays John Lennon? Harris Dickinson is announced as Lennon.
- Who plays Paul McCartney? Paul Mescal is announced as McCartney.
- Who plays George Harrison? Joseph Quinn is announced as Harrison.
- Who plays Ringo Starr? Barry Keoghan is announced as Starr.
Unlike the earlier features, in which the musicians appeared as themselves, the upcoming films use actors to portray the band members.
How the two original Beatles features differ
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Beatles’ first feature film was released on 6 July 1964, according to the official film index. The official description calls it a comedy and music pastiche following the band through a day as they try to reach a television performance while evading fans and the press. Richard Lester directed; Alun Owen wrote the screenplay. Paul McCartney’s assessment on the film’s official page is: “The film manages to capture our characters quite well.”
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- Buildable The Beatles 'Arrows' stage with faithful, accurate design and 3-mode LED lights
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Help! (1965)
The second feature, released on 29 July 1965 according to the official film index, shifts to a comedy-adventure premise: the band tries to escape a mysterious cult. Lester directed, with Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti and Roy Kinnear among the supporting cast. Lester later described its approach as a “Pop Art fantasy” intended to play with “the state of Britain in 1965 and Harold Wilson’s white-hot, modern society,” in a statement dated August 2007 on the official Help! page.
What is the four-film event?
Rather than a single biopic, The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event is announced as four theatrical films, each told from one member’s point of view and designed to intersect as one story. Sony Pictures’ announced theatrical window is April 2028. The announcement describes a plan; it does not establish that release has occurred or that tickets or physical editions are available.
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Supporting cast announced so far
The official announcements dated 3 December 2025 and 12 February 2026 named the following performers and roles. The list reflects those announcements, not a guarantee that no additional casting will be announced.
- David Morrissey as Jim McCartney
- Leanne Best as Aunt Mimi
- James Norton as Brian Epstein
- Harry Lloyd as George Martin
- Bobby Schofield as Neil Aspinall
- Daniel Hoffmann-Gill as Mal Evans
- Arthur Darvill as Derek Taylor
- Adam Pally as Allen Klein
- Farhan Akhtar as Ravi Shankar
- Lucy Boynton as Jane Asher
- Morfydd Clark as Cynthia Lennon
- Harry Lawtey as Stuart Sutcliffe
The later announcement said UK shooting was underway on 12 February 2026. These production and cast details are time-sensitive; the official updates are available from Sony Pictures.
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- Complete set of all 4 Beatles
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How to read the comparison
The clearest distinction is performance: Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr portrayed themselves in the two 1960s features, while Dickinson, Mescal, Quinn and Keoghan are announced to portray them in a new, intersecting four-film story. The older films are separate releases with different premises; they are not the whole Beatles screen catalogue. The official index also includes titles such as Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine, Let It Be, The Beatles at Shea Stadium and documentaries.
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- 7.5-inch the Beatles Yellow Submarine John with Jeremy figure
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