not another music biopic
call me a hater
Whispers and chatter about The Beatles biopic has been around for a couple of months, but this week the cast was made official official with an appearance at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
The thing about this cast is it seems like they went into my notes app and read my “white boy of the month” list that I kept last year to find their actors (and then they also cast Joseph Quinn, sorry to this man.) In the line up we’ve got Paul Mescal (Normal People (2020)) as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson (Babygirl (2024)) as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan (Saltburn (2023)) as Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things (2016)) as George Harrison. There’s been a lot of commentary about whether these famous white men can play those other famous white men. This always happens when people play real people though, as if they should’ve found John Lennon’s doppelgänger or not bothered with the film. The fact is that acting (supported by costume, hair, makeup) is pretty powerful, and I cannot deny the influence of casting some certified hotties either.
The four actors joined the Director, Sam Mendes, on stage for the announcement. You’ll likely recognise most of Mendes’ filmography, as the director behind American Beauty (1999), Revolutionary Road (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and 1917 (2019). His films have won 12 Academy Awards, he even won Best Director for his debut, impressive!
Now, he turns his direction to making four interconnected The Beatles biopics. Worth noting, these films will be the first to have full cooperation from the surviving members and deceased’s families. This is a really tough line to walk, on one hand you need that buy in for personal access, music rights etc… On the other, portrayals are then more tightly controlled and can paint the subject(s) in a certain light - intentionally or not - swaying the story. The reason I am not a big fan of the sub-genre is that music biopics hinge so strongly on the strength of the star and their music catalogue’s infamy to get by. They often hit all the same beats in retelling a rise to fame, and don’t actually have anything to say about the subject, their influence or the world they occupied. Basically, I often lament that I could’ve just read the Wikipedia article with their discography on in the background for a similar effect.
The most interesting thing about this particular venture though, is that there will be four separate films, each focusing on one member, with the others in supporting roles. They will all be released in April 2028. Last year Mendes alluded to this release schedule as "the first binge-able theatrical experience" and that he was “excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies” with concurrent releases. In practice I am very curious to see how this pans out. For one, commercially. Studios and distributors alone avoid releasing two films with overlapping target audiences at the same time, to limit internal competition and audience cannibalisation. I can’t think of a more overlapping audience than the interconnected Beatles movies that they want everyone to watch all four of.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s VERY fun to think that people will head out and watch all four. It might even be enough of a gimmick to draw a slightly bigger crowd. It will certainly get plenty of press (like the Barbenheimer phenomenon), which really drove the feeling that everyone was at the cinemas doing a double feature. For the average Joe though, four trips to the cinema is crazy, and don’t get me started on the financial outlay required - upwards of $100 just to see 4x music biopics - forget about it. But then do you only see one movie? Because really how interconnected are we talking? Do you pick your favourite member or the most famous one or the hottest actor? This would result in no one seeing George Harrison’s film. They’re going to need to combat that because commercially, you can’t release four movies at once with the same investment/time/marketing behind them and then be like “well no one cared to see that fourth movie, ahh well.”
Could one of them be the first music biopic I like? Or will I have to wait for the inevitable One Direction biopic in 2070? Time will tell… in just three short years, of course…
Thelma (2024)
Film
Netflix, Binge
June Squibb stuns as the 93-year-old Thelma, who is scammed out of $10,000 in a phone con. After realising the hoax, she ditches her family and sets out on an epic adventure across LA (complete with motorised scooter and elderly gentleman friend) to recover her cash. It has all the hallmarks of a buddy adventure film, but brings comedy, tension and heart through the nature of the leads’ being elderly with subsequent unique strengths and challenges. Equal parts funny and earnest, Thelma explores aging and loss of independence with a genuine warmth. I particularly adored the relationship depicted between Thelma and her 20-something grandson, Daniel - depicting the way we never grow out off needing someone to rely on.
The now 95-year-old, Squibb has had a 70-year career and this is her first lead screen role. She also did all her own stunts. She’s a star and genuinely, I think the backstory only serves to increase the total enjoyment of this film.
Severance (2022)
TV Series
Apple TV+
In this series, Adam Scott plays one of a team of office workers whose memories have been split between their work and personal lives. In practice, they have no idea what their life looks like for half the time, seemingly “waking up” as they enter and exit their office building. It’s a clever premise to explore the modern work/life balance as well as the enduring questions of choice versus free will, what makes up the self and how we find meaning, underpinned by a well-paced mystery surrounding the elusive company they work for.
The four main ‘severed’ employees are the backbone of the show, and I found myself holding out for their scenes together where they bring great chemistry. The set visuals and cinematography of the show are also incredible, crafting the perfect sterile lines and uniformity of an office, contrasted with a snow-covered outside world. I had delayed starting Severance (due to an avoidance of Apple TV+ and cliffhangers) but season 2 just finished airing so now was the perfect time for me (and you) to hop in.
Deep Cuts (2025)
Fiction Book
Written By Holly Brickley
In Holly Brickley’s debut novel, we meet Percy and Joe during their college years at Berkeley. They bond over their shared love of music, and form a partnership of sorts. Its marred by an unequal dynamic, with Percy as critic and Joe as artist, that breeds resentment. Of course, it’s ever complicated by the romantic feelings lapping at the jagged cliff of an already fraught dynamic. Many have compared this novel to Daisy Jones and the Six (2019), which I agree is a fair bridge to build. Both deal with the nature of artistic collaboration, and the intimacy created through it - through being heard and understood.
Whilst I am likely slightly too young to appreciate every reference of this novel, filled with pop culture nostalgia for being in your 20s in the 2000s, it’s themes are evergreen. The state of uncertainty, created by events like 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis, serve as the backdrop to their coming-of-age as the character’s find their voices through young adulthood. I really enjoyed the flaws of our central characters, particularly how their obsession and passion for music is both their superpower and the thing that creates the cracks where jealousy and ego seep in. And I don’t know, I guess a lead character loving an art form so desperately and starting a blog about it was kind of relatable…
This is an impressive debut from Brickley, complete with a Spotify playlist for each chapter and a film starring Saoirise Ronan and Austin Butler set for adaptation.
Thank you for being here!
The work is mysterious and important,
Linley x
