Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles biopics may have found its Paul McCartney in Paul Mescal.
The casting news was revealed by Gladiator II director Ridley Scott, who told Christopher Nolan after a screening of the sequel that stars Mescal in one of the lead roles. When Scott told his fellow filmmaker that his next project will be the thriller The Dog Stars, Nolan asked if there's any truth to the rumor of Mescal's casting in the upcoming film. “Yes,” Scott answered via THR, but quickly changed his tone. “Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”
Nothing is confirmed as of writing, however Mescal previously told Entertainment Tonight that "it would be a dream come true" for him to be part of the project. “It would be an incredible story to be attached to,” he shared. “The fact that Sam Mendes is attached to direct, like truly, it would be a dream come true.” When asked to confirm his casting as McCartney, however, Mescal remained tightlipped, “No, no, no — we’re not going there.”
Mendes' upcoming Beatles biopics will be released in four parts, with each focusing on members John Lennon, McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr and featuring interconnecting stories of the band as a whole. Starr stated in late November that Barry Keoghan will be playing him in the biopic, however nothing has been announced.