Sony Pictures reveals Mia McKenna-Bruce, Saoirse Ronan, Anna Sawai, and Aimee Lou Wood as the women behind the Fab Four in Sam Mendes’ The Beatles.
Sony Pictures has announced the ensemble of acclaimed actresses set to portray the women behind the world’s most famous band in Sam Mendes’ The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
BAFTA winner Mia McKenna-Bruce, four-time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Anna Sawai, and Emmy nominee and BAFTA TV winner Aimee Lou Wood will take on the pivotal roles of Maureen (Cox) Starkey, Linda (Eastman) McCartney, Yoko Ono, and Pattie Boyd — the women whose relationships with The Beatles helped shape both their personal lives and their creative journeys.
In the films, Mia McKenna-Bruce will portray Maureen (Cox) Starkey, an early Beatles fan who met Ringo Starr at Liverpool’s Cavern Club in 1962. The two married in 1965 and went on to have three children together.
Saoirse Ronan stars as Linda (Eastman) McCartney, the celebrated photographer who met Paul McCartney in 1967. Their connection was instant — McCartney later said, “The first time I saw her, I just knew.”
Anna Sawai steps into the role of Yoko Ono, the avant-garde Japanese artist whose fateful meeting with John Lennon at a London exhibition led to one of the most influential creative partnerships in music history.
Aimee Lou Wood will play Pattie Boyd, the model who met George Harrison on the set of A Hard Day’s Night in 1964 and shared his deepening interest in Eastern mysticism as their relationship unfolded.
Director Sam Mendes said of the casting:
“Maureen, Linda, Yoko and Pattie are four fascinating and unique figures in their own right — and I’m thrilled that we’ve managed to persuade four of the most talented women working in film today to join this amazing adventure.”
Further casting for key figures such as Cynthia Lennon, Brian Epstein, George Martin, and Ravi Shankar will be announced soon.
The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr — have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted feature. Mendes conceived four separate yet interconnected films, each told from one band member’s perspective, creating a comprehensive portrait of The Beatles’ story.
The four films will also star Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan, Paul Mescal, and Joseph Quinn as the iconic musicians. Mendes produces the Neal Street production alongside Pippa Harris, Julie Pastor, and Alexandra Derbyshire. Sony Pictures will finance and distribute the films globally with full theatrical windows in April 2028.
Each of the actresses brings major acclaim to the project:
McKenna-Bruce rose to prominence with How to Have Sex, winning the BAFTA Rising Star Award. Ronan has earned four Oscar nominations for Little Women, Lady Bird, Atonement, and Brooklyn. Sawai garnered Emmy and Golden Globe wins for her performance in Shōgun. Wood earned an Emmy nomination for The White Lotus and a BAFTA TV Award for Sex Education.
Representatives for the stars include 42 Management, UTA, CAA, WME, United Agents, Independent, and Sloane, Offer, Weber, Dern.
With its bold storytelling approach, visionary direction from Mendes, and powerhouse cast, The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event promises to offer a fresh lens on the band’s legacy through the women who stood beside them.
