The Beatles: Barry Keoghan says Ringo Starr wanted him to play the drums for him

Actors don’t always meet the real-life figures they portray, but Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) got to do just that when he hung out with Ringo Starr. The actor is set to play the iconic drummer in Sam Mendes’ The Beatles — A Four Film Cinematic Event alongside Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) as John Lennon, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II) as Paul McCartney, and Joseph Quinn (The Fantastic Four: First Steps) as George Harrison.

Keoghan appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and confirmed that he’d met with Starr after he was cast in the role. “It was one of those moments where you’re just in awe and just froze,” he said. “And when I was talking to him, I couldn’t look at him. I was nervous, like right now. He said, ‘You can look at me.’ And again — you’re playing Ringo Starr. My job is to observe and take in kind of mannerisms and study, but I want to humanize him and bring feelings to him, not just sort of imitate him.“

Keoghan added that Starr played the drums for him, but he couldn’t return the favour. “I met him at his house and he played the drums for me,” he said. “He asked me to play, but I wasn’t playing the drums for Ringo.” Fair.

It was announced yesterday that Jez Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari), Peter Straughan (Conclave), and Jack Thorne (Adolescence) have been tapped to write The Beatles — A Four Film Cinematic Event. It remains unclear whether each writer will be responsible for a separate film or if they will collaborate across all four installments.

Sam Mendes’ production company, Neal Street Productions, has partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment for the movies. This is the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and the members of the Beatles—Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison—have granted the full life story and music rights for a scripted movie. Mendes will direct all four movies, each focusing on a separate band member.

Mendes officially unveiled the cast at CinemaCon last month. He’d been “trying to do a [Beatles] film for years” but ultimately gave up because “the story was too big for one film.” He didn’t think a TV series would work either. “There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation,” Mendes said. “I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that.“

The Beatles — A Four Film Cinematic Event will be released in April 2028.

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