The announcement of four upcomingBeatlesbiopics has caused fans all over the world to worry. Biopics, in general, are a tough genre to tackle gracefully, and when it comes to the biggest rock band in history, the creators and cast have their work cut out for them.Sam Mendes’upcoming projects, which are set to be released in 2028, are the first ones to have the approval of all the Beatles' families.Paul McCartneyandRingo Starrgave their blessing, while the estates ofJohn LennonandGeorge Harrisonalso agreed to hand over the rights. However, this doesn’t mean everyone involved is happy with how things are going. At least not according to Starr’s recent comments.
Ringo Starr’s Comments About the Upcoming Beatles Biopics
Despite having approved of the projects and actively promoting and supporting the cast of the upcoming movies on social media, it seems Ringo Starr still harbors some doubts about the biopics. Specifically, about how faithful to the true story they will be. The story ofThe Beatleshas been one of the most documented music stories in history. FromThe Beatles: Anthology,which McCartney, Starr, and Harrison put together in the ’90s, to the countless documentaries, authorized and unauthorized, that are out there, it’s safe to say most fans know the basics, and will be able to point out any gross inconsistencies in Sam Mendes' movies.
However, while fans might have a rough idea of what happened, only the Fab Four and their close friends and families know the details, and that’s what Starr has been worried about. He revealed in a recent interview thathe had the opportunity to review the scripts for the four upcoming movies. Grateful for the opportunity, he took the task very seriously and dedicated two days to reading “line by line” each script. After that, he said he had “extensive notes,” as he felt the dialogue wasn’t faithful to the people involved, even if it was, admittedly, very well written. He especially had an issue with how they had portrayed his family dynamic.
“He had a writer —very good writer, great reputation, and he wrote it great, but it had nothing to do with Maureen and I,” Starr explained, referring to his first wife,Maureen Starkey Tigrett. “That’s not how we were. I’d say, ‘We would never do that.’" To Sam Mendes' credit, he was very open to the former Beatle’s suggestions, and Starr said he felt a lot more comfortable with what was to come oncethe director implemented his edits. “He’ll do what he’s doing, and I’ll send him peace and love,” the drummer added.
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Paul McCartney’s Issues With Previous Biopics
Ringo Starr is not the only one who feels some trepidation about seeing a portrayal of his life story.Paul McCartney is also not entirely comfortable with it, especially when he feels they don’t pay their music the respect it deserves. He has, so far, not made any negative comments regarding the new movies, but he’s made it no secret that past biopics haven’t been up to his standards.
For his bookStill the Greatest: The Essential Songs of The Beatles' Solo Careers,Andrew Grant Jacksonasked McCartney about the 1994Backbeatbiopic, one of the most popular depictions of the Fab Four. McCartney’s answer was surprisingly candid, but not unexpected. “One of my annoyances about the filmBackbeatis thatthey’ve actually taken my rock ‘n’ rollness off me,“he explained, referring to how they misrepresented the dynamic within the group and their creative process to better fit their construct of each Beatle’s personality. And now, their version is forever in the public’s mind.
“They give John the song ‘Long Tall Sally’ to sing and he never sang it in his life,“McCartney pointed out. “But now it’s set in cement. It’s like the Buddy Holly and Glenn Miller stories.The Buddy Holly Storydoes not even mention Norman Petty, andThe Glenn Miller Storyis a sugarcoated version of his life. NowBackbeathas done the same thing to the story ofThe Beatles.”
McCartney’s criticism of previous biopics and Starr’s warning that the writers haven’t captured their essence correctly adds more pressure to the upcoming projects, but fans shouldn’t give up on them yet. There’s a reason why all the families agreed to trust this project over all others, and the fact that Mendes allowed Ringo Starr to edit his work speaks volumes about his commitment to making sure his movies payThe Beatlesthe respect they deserved as the band that changed music forever.
