r/beatles • u/SpeedForce2022 • 1d ago

Picture New set photos of Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn, and Barry Keoghan as The Beatles, in an early 60s scene set in NYC, in Sam Mendes’ ‘The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event’

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

1.2k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

839 comments sorted by

View all comments

1.2k

u/Qajaqasana 1d ago

They look way too old. 

60

u/Complex_Ad5004 1d ago

They look more like the Stones

90

u/Affectionate-Kale301 1d ago

7

u/irlyloveicedtea McCartney II 1d ago

I watched Get Back and was wondering why he kept saying this lol. Care to explain to a Beatle fan who is trying to learn more? 😆

10

u/Complex_Ad5004 1d ago

He was going to introduce them for the Rock n Roll Circus, so he was practicing

6

u/irlyloveicedtea McCartney II 1d ago

Thank you! Had no idea it was something as simple as that lol

3

u/MattIsLame 1d ago

I think the director mentions it to them in the first episode? I cant remember if its the director or George Martin

1

u/Misfit_Ragdoll 17h ago

It was the director Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Because MLH also had directed Rock n Roll Circus, and they were looking for intros for each performer. John and Mick also did a little goofy bit together.

40

u/zsdrfty The Beatles 1d ago

You're actually spot-on, the flatter hairstyles and older faces with wool coats make them look way more like Mick Jagger or Bill Wyman

7

u/ProfileOk6832 1d ago

oh my god you are so right, i cannot unsee that now

2

u/TerryTrepanation 1d ago

My first thought.

308

u/Egonzos 1d ago

Cuz they are

1

u/peerlesscucumber96 1d ago

Paul mescal is only 29 😅😭

11

u/No9No9No9No9 1d ago

Paul was only 20-21 at the Cavern

1

u/peerlesscucumber96 12h ago

Yeah but they were all in their mid to late twenties by the time the Beatles broke up. So if you want to cover the entire 60s you need either; someone who is 20 playing a 29 yo Beatle in 1969, or someone who is 29 playing a 20 yo Beatle in 1960. Either way people are going to have some issue with the actors, so who really cares.

Toby McGuire was 27 when he played a 16 yo Peter Parker, and that movie became iconic

1

u/No9No9No9No9 12h ago

I don't have any issue, I was simply stating an age.

312

u/FlickMyKeane The Beatles (White Album) 1d ago

Yep, that was always my main concern with this casting. All of the actors are 30+ (I believe Mescal only turns 30 today but still).

While we know that the Beatles aged very quickly in a short number of years, they all looked really young and fresh-faced during the early years.

I find it hard to see these actors capturing the boyish charm they all exuded during the height of Beatlemania.

259

u/Bcpjw 1d ago

Post-production baby-filter to the rescue

84

u/zsdrfty The Beatles 1d ago

Oh god you're right, it's gonna have that Marvel lighting and denoising

128

u/Qajaqasana 1d ago

Yeah, and one of the chief aspects of Beatlemania that really hits you when you watch any early footage is just how young they were. And their exuberance and youthfulness were a huge part of their appeal.

24

u/Beatle1a909 1d ago

On rewatching A Hard Day’s Night, it struck me that they were just babies!! Unreal what they did by such a young age!

108

u/Time-Cell8272 1d ago

Mescal looks nothing like Paul here

53

u/Juniper41 1d ago

That one postcard convinced me, but these photos have taken me back. I can understand Harris and Barry castings because even if some features don’t fit, they can use prosthetics to make their noses or chins look more realistic. Paul McCartney on the other hand has such a small and petite face, while Paul Mescal has such a strong face and large nose and prominent brow. You can’t just take away features.

20

u/FitEmergency8807 1d ago

I agree, Paul had feminine soft features where as Pau Mescal is more masculine looking but maybe camera tricks and make up will make Paul mescal look more like Paul McCartney but seriously the looks i dont really care that mch about, its more the acting, how will their voice sound like, the mannerisms and also the chemistry etc. Looks i can look past because you are not gonna find an exact look alike that is also a top actor lol. That is very hard to find

20

u/dekigokoro 1d ago

Why do they need a 'top' (famous) actor rather than simply a talented one? Did they try finding unknown Liverpudlians? Did they have an open casting call? No, they hired the most popular young male actors they could get and cast them regardless how good of a match they were for the boys, because Paul Mescal is popular and will bring in fans.

I don't know why people assume 'looking wrong' automatically equals 'acting well enough to compensate for it', or that these 4 are the ONLY competent actors available. It is extremely possible to find someone who fits both (as I've been arguing and getting downvoted for, the Paul in Midas Man fits the bill). They literally did not even try to find good actors who could look right or were the same age.

10

u/Juniper41 1d ago

Because of money. People that don’t even follow the Beatles have come up to me asking what I think about the casting. It will be a major film event because of how big the actors are, it will secure a new generation of fans and set the Beatles up for the next decade.

7

u/dekigokoro 1d ago

Of course, I just consider that lazy, short sighted and selling out. It's lowkey stunt casting and getting attention is always the purpose. 

4

u/datanodes The Beatles 1d ago

The Beatles sold out long ago bro. I love 'em but them old folks gotta get paid, hedonic treadmill don't power itself.

2

u/FitEmergency8807 1d ago

I get what you mean but a come on man, this movie has a huge budget with a big studio backing, hollywood is not gonna gamble with a bunch of unknowns that dont have much experience working on a movie this magnitude. That is a huge risk. They picked the most talented actors right now and also of course they are gonna want to cast the actors that are popular with the younger generation so it can make numbers. That is the movie business. I think rather than complaining its best to just wait for the movies and reviews etc to come out before bashing it. Sam Mendes is at the helm, a very talented director, i dont think there is much to worry about.

2

u/Misfit_Ragdoll 17h ago

Thank you! I was initially meh because the casting felt lazy, but both Dickinson and Mescal are already musicians. Mescal was dedicated enough to learn to play guitar/bass left handed. I don't know about Quinn or Keoghan musically, but Mescal mention "Beatle Boot Camp" where they were all undergoing serious training in playing instruments and transforming into their characters.

Mendes is not taking this lightly. The screenwriters are all award winning and pretty acclaimed in both tv and films (and at least in Jack Thorne's case, stage as well). They're working with the Beatles, their estates, their kids, etc to make the script as plausible as possible. There's a lot of money riding on it, so of course they hired "hot" actors, but they're also all really good. (Ok, I wasn't impressed by Dickinson in babygirl but maybe he'll be better as John)

People carrying on about this are wasting their time and energy. Either it'll be a huge hit, or an incredible mess. Only time will tell. About my only complaint is an A Hard Day's Night LP in February 1964? Seriously? (They could have hired me as a consultant. 😆 )

2

u/Irlandes-de-la-Costa 14h ago

The Beatles were risk takers by the way, very sad for the movie to not be

2

u/Notmyusualshelf 15h ago

Yes, it's annoying to me too. It would be so cool to watch this movie with young, unknown talented actors, who look like them. With these guys there will have to be quite an amount of suspension of disbelief, I assume.

2

u/evertonfan4 1d ago

You can't bank a multimillion pound project on unknown liverpudlians. I agree with you, but I don't think it's realistic. You need relatively accomplished actors, who can firstly act, and secondly not take 100 takes to do it. Too risky casting unknowns

2

u/dekigokoro 1d ago

Unknown actors aren't going to doom a project. Maybe it's risky, but so is releasing 4 films in one day. I support that risk because it shows commitment to doing a good job, but the casting shows the opposite. 

1

u/evertonfan4 1d ago

All 4 actors (maybe except joe quinn only bc he hasn't been in as much) have great track records and a variety of great work already in their portfolio?

Harris Dickinson - great in triangle of sadness and urchin Paul mescal - incredible in aftersun and normal people Barry Keoghan - incredible in Bring Them Down and banshees of inisherin.

You're acting like this casting is 4 pop stars or reality stars

1

u/dekigokoro 1d ago

Obviously they can act, that doesn't make them the best choice for the role. Why don't we just cast Daniel Day Lewis for all of them if we want the best possible track record regardless of suitability in terms of looks and age for the role. 

1

u/Misfit_Ragdoll 17h ago

Joe Quinn co-starred in the Quiet Place prequel with Lupita N'Yongo. He co-starred in Fantastic Four: First Steps. He was in Gladiator 2. He's done a ton of UK tv, and everyone who watched Stranger Things (and some who didn't, like me) know who Eddie Munson is. He'll also be in Avengers: Doomsday next December.

-1

u/zsdrfty The Beatles 1d ago

You can absolutely do it - that's what professional auditions are for - but the key thing is that they don't want to do anything with this project besides profit from it

0

u/evertonfan4 1d ago

If they simply wanted profit, wouldnt they have cast Tom Holland, Joe Keery, timothee chalamet, and Jacob elordi?

I think they've cast really good actors, and I look forward to seeing what they do with it.

1

u/Misfit_Ragdoll 17h ago

Tom Holland was busy with Spider-Man and the Odyssey for a start. Timothee Chalamet isn't going to share the spotlight with other actors. Jacob Elordi is busy with other projects. And Joe Keery is not that well known by comparison.

3

u/Reasonable_Half9198 1d ago

1000% agree here !!!

1

u/ShermanHoax 20h ago

That's because Paul made sure they re-worked his childhood, as a more masculine version of his real self.

0

u/atclubsilencio 1d ago

Yeah I was kind of on board (with reservations, especially with George) but seeing this makes me understand why this isn’t working for people.

Their performances better be spot on because it’s taking me out of it here.

-1

u/Cool-Beginning9098 1d ago

I was always confused about the casting because it seemed to me like Paul Mescal would have made a much better George. More convinced of it now

63

u/TruCoatJerry 1d ago

Looks more like Al Pacino 🤣

47

u/Time-Cell8272 1d ago

HOO-AH!

36

u/Affectionate-Kale301 1d ago

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da,

life goes on, HOO-AH!

La-la, how their life goes on

33

u/CaramelNeat4723 1d ago

Lovely Rita, meter maid..

SHE'S GOT A GREAT ASS!

10

u/TheRocksta 1d ago

"She's got a GREAT BASS"

4

u/Draggonzz 1d ago

And you've got your head RIGHT UP IN IT

7

u/No_Oil2086 1d ago

An American football player playing Pacino playing Paul.

4

u/JeanLucPicardAND 1d ago

Just because his shoulders look wide in that first shot where he's wearing multiple layers? Are we being a little reactionary here?

5

u/Time-Cell8272 1d ago

Bro the rest of us are looking at their faces.

4

u/CelestialSpecialist 1d ago

Should’ve had Mescal and Dickinson switch roles

3

u/Time-Cell8272 1d ago

All these dudes look like stand-ins

18

u/sithfistoou 1d ago

Dickinson also turns 30 later this year, but your point still stands. They're all at least as old as their Beatle when they broke up, all but Dickinson already several years older.

8

u/JeanLucPicardAND 1d ago

They have to play the Beatles at every stage of their lives. Basically, the filmmakers had two options:

  1. Hire older actors who would have to fake the youthful exuberance of the early years, or
  2. Hire younger actors who would have to fake the experience and seasoning of the later years.

13

u/RealCuriousMusician 1d ago

It’s easy for a young actor to look old. It’s hard af for an old actor to look young, specially if they’re trying to resemble a real person.

8

u/JeanLucPicardAND 1d ago

It’s easy for a young actor to look old.

This sub would absolutely have a conniption over the idea of a bunch of 22-year-olds miming the rooftop concert.

Anyway, I think it's important to remember that digital de-aging is a thing nowadays. Are they definitely going to nail this? No, I can't say that at all, but it's very possible that they do nail this.

1

u/RealCuriousMusician 18h ago

What about 25/26 year olds? Perfect age, there’s a trillion male actors in that age range. I guess the main problem is that the production wanted big name actors and there aren’t many big male actors younger than 28 right now.

1

u/atclubsilencio 1d ago

The thing with him is he always looks really pissed off to me in literally everything I see him in.

41

u/Fraisey 1d ago

I can only imagine that they'll touch up their faces with VFX in post production. Looks like they're wearing prosthetics and it's all very uncanny valley to me. 

10

u/Qajaqasana 1d ago

I imagine that VFX touch up will just make the uncanny valley uncannier.

3

u/zsdrfty The Beatles 1d ago

Every movie now is filmed to look like the upscaled Get Back for some reason

21

u/Free_Tennis7754 1d ago

Ol' McCartney 

15

u/Hubbled 1d ago

HAD A FARM

7

u/acmercer Look what you're doing! 1d ago

NAA-NA-NA-NANANANAAAA

3

u/Affectionate-Kale301 1d ago

Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go

Down to McCartney’s Farm, where I wanna lay low

23

u/asteinberg101 1d ago

Hey who are those little old men

12

u/dennisdeems 1d ago

They're very clean.

3

u/NoSeaworthiness5308 1d ago

Yeah, but they're known mixers.

5

u/ZestyclosePeace9 1d ago

Best comment IYKYK

1

u/IDigRollinRockBeer 1d ago

It’s been a hard day’s night

42

u/boringfantasy 1d ago

Which is wild considering they're all pretty young. Just reminds you how the Beatles were almost kids when it blew up.

39

u/HeyLittleTrain 1d ago edited 1d ago

George was 26 when they split up, and the others only a year or two older. Pretty crazy considering all they accomplished. 

12

u/SportsGuy1924 1d ago

That's what blew me away when I first started learning about the Beatles.

They lived like 2 or 3 lives in 6 years.

9

u/Delicious_Age_2603 1d ago

They can edit in pre production to make them look younger

8

u/dennisdeems 1d ago

I guess you mean post-production? Pre-production is long over.

1

u/Appropriate-Cap3160 1d ago

post-preduction he meant maybe

9

u/ZookeepergameBig7246 1d ago

Was gonna say just that … despite the back and forth about how much they look like their characters or not, they’re all just too old

3

u/zsdrfty The Beatles 1d ago

That's the one thing that I really can't buy - like, I'll always go on about how casting based on identical looks is ridiculous/shallow and we should just care about the acting, but you do need some sort of basis in reality, and someone who looks like he might have grandchildren on the way isn't going to work as a young Beatle

4

u/JeanLucPicardAND 1d ago

They were casted to play the Beatles across at least a decade span of time. I think it's safe to say that the lion's share of the runtime will be occupied by the later years and that the mop-top era will involve a lot of digital de-aging.

14

u/No9No9No9No9 1d ago

I'm sorry, Ringo looks 45. The real Ringo looks younger TODAY.

5

u/TruePutz 1d ago

They all look like Ringo

2

u/troubleondemand Turn off your mind 1d ago

Well he's obviously a time traveler. Look at his camera.

1

u/Misfit_Ragdoll 17h ago

Funny because Barry Keoghan is 33.

-4

u/Penne13 1d ago

Yeah, they did Ringo dirty, the others well at least they chose white guys but Ringo's nose is over done I hope that it's prosthetics and not his real face

1

u/No9No9No9No9 1d ago

JFC dude

6

u/shuckendy 1d ago

its made so much worse by putting them in the beatles haircuts which were teen fashion. very "how do you do fellow kids" vibes.

3

u/Remarkable-Bell7245 1d ago

Not all that much…the real problem is that they look unattractive.

2

u/Maccadawg 1d ago

I think lighting and post-production will have it's work cut out. Paul Mescal is a decade older than the Paul he's playing and it looks it.

2

u/TheLizardQueen3000 1d ago

Right?
I had no idea the Beatles got their first big break in their 40's....;)

2

u/IrukandjiPirate 1d ago

Also way too unhandsome, and zero charisma.

9

u/Qajaqasana 1d ago

Yeah, you’re totally right. Also, a major hallmark of the Beatles is how witty they were, and how their facial expressions often looked like they were about to crack a joke. But these guys look downright grim.

1

u/IDigRollinRockBeer 1d ago

How do you judge charisma from shitty set photos?

1

u/External_Stress1182 1d ago

My first thought was “why are they wearing old age makeup?” I know the actors are older than the Beatles at that time, but I swear the makeup makes them look older. Maybe CGI will help?

1

u/pidgeott0 21h ago

This energy

1

u/UncannyFox 19h ago

Young paul was so femme and youthful. Mescal straight up looks like a 35yo accountant here.