The new Beatles biopic was first revealed on Monday, March 31, at CinemaCon Las Vegas, causing discussion over the casting to be strongly negative.

Musical Artist biopics such as Elvis, A Complete Unknown, and Piece by Piece have been very popular in recent years. And while the Beatles haven’t had a group biopic, John Lennon has one called Nowhere Boy starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as John Lennon. The film does include the other members but only as Lennon knew them and mainly how he met them, rather than their lives and careers. The film was received positively and earned $4.3 million on a $1.2 million budget.

The Beatles rose to fame in the 1960s through talent and timing. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are all from Liverpool. They gained popularity in England and then spilled over into the United States through their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. “Beatlemania” swept the country, causing hysteria. This led to them gaining a cult following, which some consider them to still have today. So, creating films of their lives and music, you could expect criticism and expectations from fans to get everything right.

That’s why when the casting for the band members was released, fans had no problem rioting against it. One of the

lovable things about The Beatles was that they were unknown men from Liverpool. They were mysterious and interesting. That’s why the casting is questionable; all of the actors are already known for something bigger. Harris Dickinson is the least known actor out of the bunch, but is still known for his main role in Babygirl, released in 2024. Joseph Quinn is known from Stranger Things as Eddie in season four, similar to Paul Mescal, who is well-known for his leading role in the show Normal People as well as Gladiator II. Barry Keogan is known for the explosion that was Saltburn, but he is also equally known for his dating life; he was tied to Sabrina Carpenter and even appeared in her music video for Please Please Please, though a scandal broke them apart with rumors he cheated on her. It seems as though movies have been casting from the same group of actors, and audiences are dying for some fresh faces. Which the film doesn’t seem to be giving us.

While the film hasn’t had much positive feedback, there are possible bright sides to come from the production. In recent years, the film industry and movie theaters took a hit because of COVID and are just starting to get back on their feet. These four movies, each focusing on a different band member, could help bring people back into the theaters, even if it is just to criticise. The Beatles arose during a very trying time in American history, and possibly seeing that on screen could bring up topics from the past, and apply to the politics of today.

There are three years until the first of these films is released, and more information is bound to come out. Until then, all anyone can do is hope that the final product does more good than harm. To the band, history, and the people.