Sometimes the rumor mill gets it right. After a lot of buzz, one pretty solid source has said Paul Mescal (“ Gladiator II ”) will star in Sam Mendes’ four upcoming Beatles biopics. The source, you ask? Well, none other than Mr. “Alien” himself, Sir Ridley Scott.
Following a screening of Scott’s latest movie “Gladiator II,” he sat down with fellow filmmaker Christopher Nolan (“Inception“) at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles. The pair were discussing Scott’s upcoming thriller “The Dog Stars,” when Nolan mentioned Scott teaming up with Mescal again. Scott initially said Mescal would star in the film, before correcting himself, and saying it’s a maybe.
“Yes,” Scott said about Mescal starring in “The Dog Stars.” “Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”
Not only does this mean that Mescal will be playing a vital role in Mendes’ movies, it also means that Scott would like him to be in “The Dog Stars,” if his schedule permits.
Mescal As McCartney
Mescal’s casting has not been confirmed by the studio, but this would be an odd thing for Scott to fib about. It’s believed the actor will be playing Sir Paul McCartney in the four films about the legendary rock band. Each film will focus on a different one of the four main band members: McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Sir Ringo Starr.
“It would be an incredible story to be attached to,” Mescal told Entertainment Tonight after being asked if he would play McCartney last month. “The fact that Sam Mendes is attached to direct, like truly, it would be a dream come true.”
When asked to confirm the casting he responded; “No, no, no — we’re not going there.” So there is still a chance he is in the films but not as McCartney.
This also isn’t the first odd casting announcement about the ambitious project. Last month Starr confirmed that Barry Keoghan (“Saltburn”) will be playing him in the films. Mostly this seems to be the result of the studio wanting to keep a lid on details about the films as much as possible. But it’s also hard to tell music and film icons to shut it.
We’ll keep you posted on breadcrumbs about Mendes’ Beatles biopics as they become available. Scott’s “Gladiator II” is currently in theaters.
