Beatles Biopic Stars Recreate 1964 Liverpool Homecoming

Sam Mendes’ ambitious four-film Beatles project has moved onto the streets of Liverpool, where Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan were seen filming scenes tied to the band’s celebrated 1964 homecoming.

The actors appeared in matching early-era suits and hairstyles as the production revisited Liverpool Town Hall. Their real-life counterparts appeared on the building’s balcony on July 10, 1964, when the Beatles returned to their hometown at the height of Beatlemania. Crowds lined the streets before the group attended a civic reception and the northern premiere of A Hard Day’s Night.

Four actors, four Beatles

Mescal is playing Paul McCartney, Dickinson is John Lennon, Quinn is George Harrison and Keoghan is Ringo Starr. Reports from the set also described filming inspired by the famous opening of A Hard Day’s Night, in which the musicians race away from pursuing fans. The Liverpool shoot follows earlier production images showing the four leads recreating the Abbey Road album cover.

Rather than compressing the group’s history into one conventional music biopic, the planned cinematic event will tell the story across four connected movies. Each installment is designed around the perspective of a different band member, creating room for the same history to be seen through four distinct experiences.

A major ensemble takes shape

The wider cast includes Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Mia McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Starkey, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono and Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd. James Norton will portray manager Brian Epstein, while Harry Lloyd takes on producer George Martin.

The production is notable because the Beatles and Apple Corps granted life-story and music rights for the scripted films, giving Mendes’ team access to the group’s defining songs and personal histories. All four movies are currently scheduled for theatrical release in April 2028.

By returning to Liverpool for a moment embedded in the band’s mythology, the project is offering an early clue to its approach: familiar images will not simply be referenced, but rebuilt at the places where Beatles history unfolded.