John Lennon’s sister has shared her thoughts on the upcoming Beatles biopic casting – and she’s particularly unhappy about Paul Mescal’s casting.
The cast for director Sam Mendes’ four films was announced last month, with Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon.
Since the names have been announced, there had been some criticism that the roles should have gone to lesser-known actors.
And this seems to be something Julia Barid, Lennon’s sister, agrees with.
Baird told MailOnline there’s loads of actors “waiting for a chance” to land their big break, claiming Mescal has been “in everything”.
“I don’t think anything other than, have they been investigated and looked at Liverpool actors? Paul Mescal is in everything – get real, come on,” she told the publication.
“There are more actors out there waiting for a go, and for a chance.”
She also said she’s intrigued to see if the actors can pull off the accent.
“It will be interesting to see what kind of accent he comes up with, because nobody can do a Liverpool accent. They all get it wrong.”
“Well we [Liverpool] have got acting schools. You all know about the Playhouse in Liverpool, and every single big actor from years ago went through it, so why wouldn’t you think, let’s at least go and have a look?”
Baird, 78, also said she might go to the cinema to watch the films “if she is still around”.
The films were announced at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last month and director Mendes, who has been developing the project for years, introduced a video message from the four stars at the event.
The filmmaker said: “The Beatles changed my understanding of music. I’ve been trying to make a movie about them for years.”
He described the films, scheduled for release in April 2028, as the “first binge-able theatrical experience” and revealed that filming will last a year.
It marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and the Beatles have granted full rights to their life stories and music for a major film adaptation.
