Saoirse Ronan Joins Sam Mendes’ Fab The Beatles Four Cinematic Gamble

The 2027 film calendar may be stacked, but if there’s one event already setting pulses racing in the worlds of cinema, music, and legacy storytelling, it’s Sam Mendes’ ambitious take on the British band The Beatles.

And now, there’s a fresh and rather luminous casting whisper beyond the earlier announcement of the 4 actors playing the band members, making its way through industry circles: none other than Saoirse Ronan is said to be stepping into the role of Linda McCartney.

According to Deadline, multiple sources have confirmed Ronan will portray the photographer-turned-musician and beloved wife of Paul McCartney in The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, with the ever-rising Paul Mescal playing the man himself. It marks a reunion of sorts for the pair, who last appeared together in the moody sci-fi romance Foe.

Official confirmation from Sony remains elusive, but this particular casting has all the hallmarks of a prestige play: two serious actors with emotional range, onscreen chemistry, and indie cred, bringing nuance to one of rock and roll’s most mythologised love stories.

The four films — yes, four — are each dedicated to one member of the band. It’s a wildly ambitious format, but when Mendes is at the helm, ambition tends to come with orchestration. George Harrison will be played by Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn, with Barry Keoghan donning Ringo’s rings, and Harris Dickinson who was recently lauded for his directorial debut Urchin is taking on the formidable task of playing John Lennon. (He’s called the role “frightening.” Fair.)

Mendes, who has spent years trying to tell the Beatles’ story in a way that feels both fresh and reverent, says this structure is what finally cracked it. “There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation,” he said earlier this year. “I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore.” And with screenwriters like Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne on the job, we’re not exactly worried.

Back to Ronan. If the reports are true, she’ll be portraying Linda Eastman McCartney from the late 1960s through to the height of Wings, the American photographer who captured the band long before she joined it, and later built a life with Paul that was refreshingly ordinary by rock star standards. She was a mother, a vegetarian pioneer, an animal rights activist, and the face behind a now-iconic line of plant-based foods.

It’s a compelling role, and a perfect fit for Ronan, who has quietly been building one of the most consistently interesting careers in film. She’s already racked up four Oscar nominations, recently starred in Steve McQueen’s Blitz, and led the Toronto-premiered dark comedy Bad Apples. Next up: Deep Cuts, a sultry music drama with Austin Butler.

The full Beatles project is slated to begin filming in early 2026, with a coordinated release in 2027 to mark 65 years since the band’s formation. Ringo Starr has already been involved in script feedback reportedly asking for changes, then giving his blessing. One gets the impression this isn’t just another jukebox biopic.

It’s a bold swing, to be sure, four films, one band, countless expectations, but if the casting is anything to go by, Mendes isn’t aiming for nostalgia. He’s after legacy and the life behind their on stage personas. And if Saoirse Ronan is indeed Linda, this could be one love story that sings louder than the rest.