Four Fab Films 🎶
Harris, Paul, Joe, and Barry have arrived.
Hey cine-sickos. There’s a lot to get to this week, and by that, I really just mean all my thoughts around the news of the forthcoming tetralogy (yep, that means four) of Fab Four films. I am a self-described Beatles freak and have read all the books, watched all the docs, and wondered if/when they were finally going to get the proper biopic treatment. Well, the good people at Sony saw that, if you take a hot, young star actor and cast him in the story of a 1960s musical icon, and actually get the rights to all of the incredible songs, you can (in fact) make money. So, why not do four A Complete Unknowns and see what happens, shall we? See you in 2028!
Cheers, MB
In this week’s issue:
✈️ Iceman flies off into the sunset
🎬 QT, Fincher, and Pitt team up
🎵 The Fab Four hath been cast
🍏 The weirdest existing Beatles movie, and so much more
The Weekend Take: April 5-7💰
Behold, the first real block American blockbuster of the year. I have zero connection to the world of Minecraft, but apparently a lot of kids and former kids certainly do. The very mid-looking movie starring Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and Jason Momoa’s wig exceeded most, if not all, projections for the weekend, for better or worse.
For a moment, when I saw that The Chosen: Last Supper and The Chosen: Last Supper Part 2, were both out, I imagined a world where they were the first two parts of a trilogy with Death of a Unicorn serving as the title for the epic Passion-centric conclusion. And you know what? It made me laugh.
But First, the News 🗞️
RIP, Val Kilmer. Doc Holliday, Iceman, and Chris Shiherlis Will Live Forever
One of the most interesting and peculiar movie stars of the past 40 years, Val Kilmer passed away last week at 65. His career was marked by huge performances in huge movies: as the villain-turned-best-friend/pseudo-love-interest Iceman in Top Gun, the unruly (and highly meme-able) Doc Holliday in Tombstone, the second Batman, and the most 1990s bank robber in the history of the 1990s in Heat. Oddly, my favorite performance of his came in 2005’s Shane Black-directed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang where he goes up against RDJ in a movie where they’re both trying to make comebacks of sorts with both succeeding to varying degrees (this scene still really gets me). While Kilmer was ill for much of the last decade of his life, he still gave one of the most heart-wrenching performances of the decade when he reprised his role of Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick while in a state where he could barely speak. In a scene that could’ve been played way too over the top, Kilmer did something he was certainly not known for: he kept things grounded and subtle, which for a guy who infamously played Jim Morrison in the very ungrounded and non-subtle The Doors, was saying something.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2: Probably with Even More Murder
Much like The Beatles movies casting announcement, this felt like prime April Fools Day fodder. And just to make it even more perplexing, there was a Christopher Nolan/Quentin Tarantino collab rumor also floating around last week. But no, this is happening and it sounds extremely intriguing. While Tarantino continues to debate what his 10th and “final” directorial job will supposedly be, he’s still busy writing (and writing, and writing more), including the sequel script to his 2019 masterpiece, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood…. Well, David Fincher apparently is a big fan and has now signed on to direct said-sequel with Brad Pitt reprising his role as stuntman Cliff Booth, which will theoretically borrow from the novelization of the original movie and steal some beats from QT’s The Critic script, which is no longer getting made but was set to star Pitt as a 70s movie critic writing for a porno mag. Honestly? This will be fascinating to follow, but since it’s been a while since Fincher really made something with any cultural imprint (and as he has experience prying incredible performances out of Pitt in Se7en, Fight Club, and The Curious Case of Old Baby), this will definitely be one to keep an eye out for next year.
Bits & Bops: But Mostly Just Meryl as the Jesus Lion
This week, we got word that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will hit theaters in 2027, Keanu will return as John Wick in a fifth film (regardless of how the thrice-shot From the World of John Wick: Ballerina does), and Greta Gerwig apparently wants none other than Meryl Streep to be the voice of Aslan in her upcoming Narnia movies at Netflix. Side note: anyone else remember the 1988 BBC mini-series version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (other than my mother and sister)? What a ride. Here it is in its entire 2.5-hour glory if you’re curious.
A Proper-Length Review: the Casting of the Upcoming Four Beatles Movies 🎵
The TL;DR
Rating: 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿
What was the announcement? Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Revolutionary Road, Empire of Light (lolz)) is directing four separate Beatles biopics with each film focused on a different member of the Fab Four. The four actors playing The Beatles are Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. The four movies will all come out in April 2028, but it’s currently unclear if this will be a staggered release throughout the month or if all four will be released at once.
Should you make time for these four movies (in 2028)? As a Beatles fanatic, it is hard for me to articulate how dialed in I am for these films. That said, it is unclear what the audience for what we can presume will be an eight-hour movie series about a band who last made an album in 1970, 58 years before the films’ release, will be. Mendes (and especially Sony, the studio behind the movies) is banking on these four actors being mega-huge by the time these films come out, essentially using the A Complete Unknown playbook (which made $136M globally), but multiplying it times the most influential and popular band of all time.
What will you remember about this news six months from now? That there was a time when Joseph Quinn was the least well-known of the four actors. Once Fantastic Four hits this summer (and assuming it’s even semi-decent), he is going to ascend to a level of fame for playing Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) that Dickinson, Mescal, and Keoghan simply don’t possess.
Who is the big winner from the announcement? Honestly? Probably Paul McCartney, who got Paul “I fight mutant baboons for sport” Mescal to play him. The same goes for the Lennon estate, strong work by Sean and Yoko on that one. But also, maybe Mendes? He hasn’t made a good movie in years and now he’s embarking on what will be one of the most covered movie productions of the 21st century. OK, now let’s really dig in.
After more than a year of rumors and hearsay (RIP, Robert Pattinson as Pete Best), we officially have the cast for Sam Mendes’ forthcoming tetralogy of movies covering The Beatles. Three out of four of these choices were all but confirmed months ago when Ringo let it slip that Keoghan was cast as him in the upcoming film series. “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons,” said the world’s most famous drummer. "And I hope not too many.”
The one surprise here is Quinn, as a certain Charlie Rowe (who looks way more like Harrison than the future Johnny Storm does) was originally thought to be in line to play the quiet Beatle. However, casting a guy who is going to be obscenely famous by the end of this summer with the release of Fantastic Four: First Steps seems like a smart move by Sony. But are these the right choices to play four of the most famous musicians of all time? Let’s investigate.
Harris Dickinson as John Lennon
At 6’2”, Harrison Dickinson is quite tall for an actor, and while John Lennon and Paul McCartney were both 5’11”, Lennon always appeared taller – whether because of the way he carried himself or just his inherent magnetism. Similarly, Dickinson is a former model and looks very statuesque, which will be an interesting contrast to Lennon’s not-so-classic good looks. What matters most here though is the charisma, and Dickinson’s displayed plenty of that in most of his recent roles, while really knowing how to command au audience’s attention and be part of a band of sorts (like when he played third fiddle in The Iron Claw). As a whole, I think this the safest best (but maybe least inspired) of the four choices, but with no other movies currently on his slate other than these films, it’ll be interesting to see what level of fame he’s reached by the time these are released in April, 2028.
Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney
Look, I know Mullet O’Thighsahan is quite popular amongst… a lot of people, but this is the one casting of the four that doesn’t sit right with me. Paul McCartney is one of the most joyful celebrity presences on the planet, and while Paulie Mescal is many things, rarely has he played someone… happy? I would love to be proved wrong, just for whatever reason – maybe it’s the Gladiator II of it all, a performance that will not be remembered fondly, but that’s really more on the script than the Pride of Ireland himself – I’m not quite seeing it, even if I squint. At 5’11”, he’s the perfect size to play McCartney, especially as Paul was always slightly stockier than the others (granted, Lennon and Harrison were two of the skinniest people alive in 1970). And based on his IMDb, Mescal will have plenty of opportunities to rid Americans’ minds of his time as Lucius in Ancient Rome. Both Hamnet and The History of Sound will serve as major awards-bait later this year, so prepare for a lot more Mescal in the very near future.
Joseph Quinn as George Harrison
“Johnny Storm: the quiet Beatle,” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but Joseph Quinn is a very good actor who has continued to climb the rungs of on-screen fame over the past few years, beginning (at least in the US) with Stranger Things, before playing the co-lead opposite Lupita Nyong’o in the most recent A Quiet Place movie. And then, there was Gladiator II, a role which allowed him to really let it rip in front of a massive international audience. Well, he’ll get that opportunity again when he plays the hot-head Human Torch in the forthcoming Fantastic Four reboot (not to mention two Avengers movies after that). But when you look at him, do you get George Harrison? You know, the youngest Beatle – who became obsessed with Indian culture, composed arguably the greatest love song of the 1960s, and also wrote a hit single about how much he hated paying taxes? Tough to say, this feels like the weirdest choice of the four based on aesthetics, but again, they’re aiming for a billion-dollar ROI, so… I guess it’s important to get a superhero in there, or two if you include Barry’s role in Eternals. Speaking of Barry…
Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr
Honestly? No notes, I genuinely think this is perfect casting and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr is the only one of the four that I don’t worry about whatsoever. He’s got the aesthetic and physicality down, he can be off-beat and charming, and in three of the four films, he’ll probably be the least featured of the group because, well, he’s Ringo. On top of all that, Keoghan has the most interesting slate of movies coming down the pike of the four of them by a long shot, including his appearance in the forthcoming Peaky Blinders movie, his role as a solider guarding Saddam Hussein before his trial, a wrestling/family drama with Riley Keough, and Hurry Up Tomorrow, which is definitely going to be a very discussed film because, well, ya know. Do I think people will be that into a movie about Ringo? Maybe not, but of any of the four who I am interested in just watching metaphorically cook, it goes Keoghan and then everyone else.
Five Credits that Make Me Hopeful for This Weird Beatles Experiment 🤞🏼
Harris Dickinson in The Iron Claw
Yeah yeah yeah, he was very tall and powerful in Babygirl, relax. Take a walk, eat a cookie, go have a drink at The Nines. Actually, the first time I saw Harris Dickinson was in Triangle of Sadness, a movie I not only disliked, but had quite the physical aversion to while watching. However, the second time I saw him, as David Von Erich in The Iron Claw, I remember thinking, “Oh, that’s a movie star.” Specifically, he radiated nuclear-level charisma and both literally and figuratively blocked out the sun in every scene he shared with his onscreen brothers, Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White. That juice is what will make him a fun Lennon and allow for good tension with Paul Mescal’s Paul, which could be one of the main themes of the tetralogy (depending how involved McCartney is).
Barry Keoghan in The Banshees of Inisherin
Man, what a great movie. Barry Keoghan essentially plays fourth fiddle (or fifth if you include the donkey, which we certainly do in this house), but in every second of screen time, he just beams with peculiarity and specificity in a way that leaves you crushed, especially after the now iconic, “Well, there goes that dream.” Keoghan is the modern lord of big choices (well, maybe he’s the prince behind Robert Pattinson’s king), but since Ringo is the most cartoonish of the four Beatles, Barry won’t need to bring too much extra to the table to take Ringo up to an 11.
Paul Mescal in All of Us Strangers (or Just Being at Montague Diner)
All of Us Strangers isn’t really Paul Mescal’s movie (but then again, neither are most of his film credits). We’ll get a good look at him as a leading man who isn’t required to wrestle a CGI baboon later this year when he portrays the Bard in Hamnet. But in the meantime, his ethereal role opposite Andrew Scott is equal parts kind and rapscallion, which is very fitting for the other Paul. On the other hand, I recently encountered Paulie Mullet at Montague Diner in Brooklyn Heights sitting next to Gracie Abrams and opposite Josh O’Connor, where they all discussed pancakes, making the upcoming The History of Sound, and buying lots of merch. While I haven’t loved him onscreen, Mescal seemed like a fun hang from what I could tell sitting four feet away from him, and maybe that’s enough to play arguably the greatest songwriter of the past 60+ years.
Joseph Quinn in Gladiator II
Similarly, Gladiator II is also not Joseph Quinn’s movie (this movie clearly belongs to Denzel, or the imported sharks), but he really does a bang-up job as the more threatening of the two twin emperors, Geta. Fun fact: Barry Keoghan originally signed on to play the other brother emperor, but ended up making Bird instead, which is a movie that’s just about as beloved as GII. Had BK not flipped, we could’ve had three future Beatles in one movie about the Roman empire, which if you Google that in tandem with “The Beatles,” you’ll learn some weird sh*t about the song “Helter Skelter.”
Sam Mendes Directing Skyfall
Sam Mendes has made good movies. Revolutionary Road? Good, albeit brutal, movie. 1917? Impressive, albeit a bit ongoing, movie. Skyfall? Just f*cking slaps, no caveats. However, he also made American Beauty and Spectre, so… yeah. Mendes is a famed theater director and really knows how to orchestrate an intimate set piece. That said, if there’s too much emphasis on the band recording, the narrativized version might just look lame in comparison to the absolutely perfect Get Back doc from a few years ago. Still, Mendes empowered Javier Bardem to let his freak flag fly and directed that incredible Scotland sequence in what’s been the best Bond movie in a decade, so… I’m keeping my heart open to it.
What the F*ck Is This Movie? 🍏
Yellow Submarine (1968)
In the town where I was born, lived a film made just for me… OK, not really, but I do weirdly adore this extremely silly, Terry Gilliam-inspired (or maybe it’s the other way around?) animated film that The Beatles didn’t actually have anything to do with. Here’s a plot summary for you, kind of:
The music-loving inhabitants of Pepperland are under siege by the Blue Meanies, a nasty group of music-hating creatures. The Lord Mayor of Pepperland dispatches sailor Old Fred to Liverpool, England, where he is to recruit the help of the Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr). The sympathetic Beatles ride a yellow submarine to the occupied Pepperland, where the Blue Meanies have no chance against the Fab Four's groovy tunes.
Unlike the live-action Magical Mystery Tour, this is an example of drugs actually doing good and helping create fun art. Next time you want to giggle and ponder what the late 60s were really like (you know, theoretically), put this on and let it transport you to that land beneath the waves and sing along to “Hey Bulldog” while you’re at it.
Seen anything good lately (besides Yellow Submarine)? Have you been listening to The Beatles more than normal and you’re not totally sure why? Would you also like to have breakfast with Paul Mescal sometime? Let me know by responding to this email.