Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Paul Mescal in Beatles biopic first looks
First-look images from the long-gestating Beatles biopic project landed on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 (ET), revealing the four lead actors in costume as the band’s members. The photos were distributed in an unusually on-the-ground way in Liverpool—printed as postcards and placed around the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts—before the images quickly spread online.
The release crystallizes a major studio gamble: director Sam Mendes is building The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, a set of four interlocking films slated for an April 7, 2028 (ET) theatrical rollout. The approach aims to tell the story of the Beatles from four distinct vantage points rather than compressing decades of history into a single feature.
Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr
Barry Keoghan’s first look leans into instantly recognizable markers of Ringo Starr: the mop-top framing, the facial hair, and a wary, watchful expression that reads more like a posed period photo than a “movie star” glamour shot. That restraint matters—Ringo is often treated as supporting texture in Beatles narratives, and the still suggests this version intends to center him as a full protagonist, not an accessory to the louder mythmaking around the band.
The photo also signals the production’s broader visual strategy: rather than chasing a single definitive Beatles era, the first looks appear to draw from multiple phases of the group’s public image. That sets expectations for a story that may shift style and tone depending on where each film drops into the timeline.
Harris Dickinson and the Lennon challenge
Harris Dickinson faces the hardest “instant recognition” test of the four: John Lennon is one of the most photographed cultural figures of the 20th century, and audiences tend to judge any portrayal in the first half-second—posture, gaze, even how the glasses sit. The still positions Dickinson in a Lennon-adjacent silhouette that evokes a familiar mid-career image, designed to land as “Lennon” before viewers even process the details.
What’s notable is what the image avoids: there’s no exaggerated swagger, no winking mimicry. It’s a controlled, composed portrait, which suggests the films may prioritize character specificity over impressionistic imitation—an important distinction for a story that has been told and retold through documentaries, books, and dramatizations.
Joseph Quinn steps into George Harrison
Joseph Quinn’s first look frames George Harrison as the band’s evolving inner engine rather than simply the “quiet one.” The styling hints at a later-stage Harrison—longer hair and beard cues that move beyond the early, uniform look associated with the group’s first wave of global fame.
For a Beatles biopic built around four separate films, Harrison’s arc is one of the richest narrative opportunities: the slow burn of a songwriter pushing into his own, the creative tension of balancing individual ambition with a collective identity, and the way public perception often lagged behind his contributions. If the films truly commit to four distinct points of view, Harrison’s story could feel less like a subplot and more like an overdue re-centering.
Paul Mescal and the McCartney lens
Paul Mescal’s first image presents Paul McCartney in a classic early-era frame—clean lines, sharp tailoring, and a look calibrated for the band’s most widely circulated visual history. It’s an intentional choice: McCartney is frequently the audience’s entry point to the Beatles’ rise, and a familiar visual shorthand helps the film announce its era without saying a word.
Beyond resemblance, the challenge for any McCartney portrayal is rhythm—how a scene moves when the character is constantly working: writing, performing, arranging, persuading. A still can’t prove that, but the first look leans into a grounded, workmanlike vibe rather than a heightened, larger-than-life reinvention.
| Actor | Role | First-look cue |
|---|---|---|
| Barry Keoghan | Ringo Starr | Period hair and facial-hair styling, restrained portrait pose |
| Harris Dickinson | John Lennon | Iconic glasses silhouette and composed, mid-career framing |
| Joseph Quinn | George Harrison | Longer-hair, beard-era cues suggesting a later-phase perspective |
| Paul Mescal | Paul McCartney | Clean early-era tailoring and classic band-era styling |
Four films, one April 2028 rollout
The central bet is structural: four standalone features, each centered on one band member, designed to interlock as a single event. That format implies a few things the marketing is already nudging toward: overlapping timelines, repeated key moments seen through different eyes, and the possibility that each film could carry its own tone while still aligning into one cohesive portrait of the group.
The project’s scope is also tied to licensing. This package is positioned around full cooperation for life-story and music rights through the Beatles’ rights-holding infrastructure, which shapes what can be depicted and how deeply the films can integrate the band’s catalog into the storytelling.
What comes next is less about plot reveals and more about proof-of-execution: additional official stills that clarify the time periods, confirmation of how the films will be released and watched (individually vs. as a marathon-style event), and eventually a first trailer that demonstrates whether the performances lean toward close reproduction or interpretive drama. With April 7, 2028 (ET) on the calendar, the rollout will likely be measured—early images now, bigger reveals closer to the finish line.
Sources consulted: Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, Deadline, IndieWire, ITV News, Sony Pictures
