Paul Mescal Set to Star in Sony’s Beatles Movies, Says Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott’s plans to work with Paul Mescal again might be on hold, thanks to the Beatles.
During a conversation with fellow filmmaker Christopher Nolan that followed a screening of Scott’s latest title, Gladiator II, at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Scott said that he plans for his next project to be the thriller feature The Dog Stars. When Nolan asked if Mescal is set to star in the film, given that this had been recently reported, Scott confirmed this as true before correcting himself and explaining that Mescal’s schedule may prevent the Gladiator II pair from reuniting on the new film. According to Scott, the actor is set to star in Sony Pictures’ Beatles movies for director Sam Mendes.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
“Yes,” Scott said in response to the question about whether Mescal would star in The Dog Stars. Scott then added, “Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”
While this casting decision has not been confirmed by the studio, Mescal has been rumored to be a top choice to play Paul McCartney in the upcoming four biopics that Mendes is set to make about the famed Fab Four. Each film will be released theatrically and focus on a different one of the four main band members: McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight last month, Mescal was asked how it would feel to play McCartney, in light of the rumors. “It would be an incredible story to be attached to,” Mescal said cagily at the time. “The fact that Sam Mendes is attached to direct, like truly, it would be a dream come true.” When the actor was then asked if he would indeed be playing McCartney, Mescal was in no mood to break any news: “No, no, no — we’re not going there.”
Also last month, Beatles drummer Starr told Entertainment Tonight that Barry Keoghan will be playing him in the films and that he understands that the actor has been taking drum lessons. Rumors have circulated that Joseph Quinn has also been considered for a role.
At the time of Starr’s comments, no deals had been made for any castmembers. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Sony for comment on Scott’s remarks.
“You have to match the boldness of the idea with a bold release strategy,” Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman previously told THR about the studio’s project that earned approval from the Beatles’ label Apple Corps ahead of a planned 2027 release. “There hasn’t been an enterprise like this before, and you can’t think about it in traditional releasing terms.”
Mescal, who stars in Gladiator II as Lucius, is also known for his breakout role in Normal People, which earned him an Emmy nomination, and for his Oscar-nominated performance in the feature Aftersun.
At a different point during the conversation about Gladiator II, Nolan noted that it seemed as though Denzel Washington had been given an opportunity to improvise some of his lines as former slave Macrinus. “He feels very much like he’s in control — his energy is controlling the scene,” Nolan said about Washington, who earned a Golden Globe nomination this week for his performance.
Scott explained that he takes inspiration from live theater, where the action cannot be stopped and a scene can evolve. “Each scene is a play,” Scott said. “If there’s a happy mistake, or if not, there’s a sense of freedom, and then just relax and just do it. There’s a naturalism that comes out of that. Funny enough, I think Denzel was amazed at the scale of things. I think Denzel was actually nervous. From that, came something great.”
Nolan also asked how Scott approaches world-building for a film like Gladiator II, particularly given that the shoot for the historical epic lasted just 51 days. “I’m running a corporation that’s 1,200 personnel,” Scott said of the film’s production. He then recalled having meetings with the heads of department, where the director would encourage communication about any potential problems in order to improve efficiency.
Added Scott, “The key is, people must talk to each other.”
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
