Thescreescore – Sam Mendes’ ambitious four-part Beatles biopic, announced in February 2024, is facing a significant hurdle. While the project, featuring Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, boasts a 17-week band bootcamp for its cast, a key creative conflict has emerged. Ringo Starr himself intervened, revealing in a recent New York Times interview that he delivered a crucial script note to Mendes. The issue? A significant portion of the script depicting Starr’s relationship with his first wife, Maureen Starkey Tigrett, was deemed historically inaccurate. "He had a writer – very good writer, great reputation, and he wrote it great, but it had nothing to do with Maureen and I," Starr stated. "That’s not how we were. I’d say, ‘We would never do that.’" While Starr expressed satisfaction with the revised script, the incident highlights the immense challenge of balancing creative vision with historical accuracy in such a high-profile project. The sheer scale of four simultaneous films, slated for April 2028, raises questions about logistical feasibility, even for a director of Mendes’ caliber. Will this behind-the-scenes drama impact the final product, or will Mendes’ vision ultimately triumph? Only time will tell if this cinematic gamble pays off. The pressure is on to deliver a film worthy of the Fab Four’s legacy, a task as monumental as the project itself. Thescreescore.com
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