1 week Ago By [email protected] (Michael Moran)
Paul McCartney's life has been portrayed on screen on several occasions, with one actor who played him recalling how the Beatles legend made his thoughts known Sir Paul McCartney , with over 300 million record sales as part of The Beatles and an additional 67 million sales in his own right, might seem to have nothing left to prove. However, it appears he's quite sensitive about how he appears on screen. Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played the Beatles legend in Sam Taylor-Johnson's John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, revealed to NME that Sir Paul had spoken of his dissatisfaction with his casting in a conversation with a film director.
He explained: "The one comment I did get was that he didn't like the fact that Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played John, was taller than me, because he said that wasn't the case!" Nowhere Boy, based on a book by John Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird, explored the early development of the Beatles from Lennon's viewpoint. In her directorial debut, Sam Taylor-Johnson cast 5'11" Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who she later married, in the lead role. Brodie-Sangster is only about an inch shorter, but this minor discrepancy seemed to annoy Sir Paul, who at 5'11" was roughly the same height as his former songwriting partner.
The Daily Mail's Ephraim Hardcastle has since questioned whether Sir Paul may be even more displeased with the casting for the four upcoming Beatles films planned by Bond director Sir Sam Mendes. Due in 2028, each film will focus on one member of the Fab Four. Barry Keoghan has been cast as laid-back drummer Sir Ringo Starr, while Joseph Quinn is set to play the quiet, introspective youngest band member George Harrison.
Paul Mescal, star of Gladiator II, is said to be roughly the same height as Sir Paul, while Harris Dickinson, who will portray John Lennon, stands just over 6'2". The quartet of films are slated for a simultaneous release in April 2028, an event that Sony studios chief Tom Rothman has dubbed "the first bingeable theatrical experience. " Director Mendes has already received approval from the band's company, Apple Corps.
However, it remains uncertain how the influential bassist will react to seeing his old friend and rival towering over him on screen. Industry authority Variety has already labelled the four interconnected films as "one of the biggest bets in movie history," with filming alone projected to span a full year. Mendes, known for his work on Bond blockbusters Skyfall and Spectre, believes a streaming mini-series wouldn't do justice to his narrative of "the greatest band in history" and that it's also "too huge to fit into a single movie.
" Instead, he's taking inspiration from Marvel, creating a series of interlinked films focusing on each band member – tracing their journey from their modest beginnings in post-war Liverpool, through the gritty clubs of Hamburg, and onto the global stage as arguably the most influential pop band ever.Addressing a gathering of cinema executives last week, he stated: "We need big cinematic events to get people out of the house. ".
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