Westminster Council has reportedly banned any filming at an iconic Beatles landmark, meaning that a famous shot of the fab four will not be recreated for the films
Westminster Council has reportedly banned any filming at an iconic Beatles landmark. The legendary rockband, which was made up of John Lennon, Ringo Starrr George Harrison and Paul McCartney, will be the focus of an upcoming biopic and Sam Mendes had hoped to recreate a famous shot in the film.
The cover of the band’s 1969 album, Abbey Road, sees the band strolling across in a line and it has become an integral image within the history of the Penny Lane hitmakers, but the council in that area of North West London are said to have rejected a request to shoot there.
An insider told The Sun: “It’s believed they turned down the request on the basis that they’d have to shut down the road for filming to take place safely. The trouble is that the huge number of tourists who visit the area often cause disruption by having their picture taken recreating the scene.
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“That would be magnified by having dozens of cast and crew present to do the same thing for the movie. Now the producers are facing the prospect of omitting the scene as they really don’t want to rely on CGI because that would not look authentic.
“The hope is that they kind a road that looks similar enough that they can still make it happen in some form.”
The Mirror has contacted Westminster Council for comment.
Paul Mescal will play Sir Paul McCartney while fellow Irish actor Barry Keoghan takes on the role of Sir Ringo Starr in the multi-part films, which will be released in 2028. Sony Pictures announced there will be four films, with an April 2028 release date, directed by British filmmaker Sir Sam Mendes.
Also revealed in the cast are Babygirl star and British actor Harris Dickinson, who will play John Lennon, while Mescal’s Gladiator II co-star Joseph Quinn portrays George Harrison. Speaking at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas on Monday, which the cast also attended, Sir Sam called the films the “first binge-able theatrical experience”. “I’ve been trying to make a story about The Beatles for years,” he added. It was already announced that Sir Sam will produce the films under his Neal Street Productions banner alongside its co-founder Dame Pippa Harris, the former chairwoman of Bafta, and Julie Pastor.
The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd and The Beatles – Sir Paul, Sir Ringo, and the families of Lennon and Harrison – have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film. Sir Ringo previously appeared to let slip that Saltburn star Keoghan had taken on the role. He told Entertainment Tonight: “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.” When Sir Ridley Scott was promoting his second Roman epic Gladiator II last year, he revealed Mescal was joining the Beatles project, telling an industry event that the actor was “actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next” so he may not be able to join him on his next film.
There have been previous films about the Beatles, including Nowhere Boy, about Lennon growing up in Liverpool, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson. BBC drama Lennon Naked starred Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston as Lennon, and Chapter 27 depicted the musician’s death in New York in 1980 with Dallas Buyers Club actor Jared Leto playing his killer, Mark David Chapman.
Formed in 1960, The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time and one of the most influential groups in the world, having achieved 18 UK number one singles and 16 UK number one albums.
Normal People star Mescal and Keoghan are both Oscar nominees, having been nominated for drama Aftersun and black comedy The Banshees Of Inisherin, respectively. Dickinson has also acted in the comedy Triangle Of Sadness and thriller Where The Crawdads Sing, while Quinn rose to fame in Stranger Things before taking on roles including in A Quiet Place: Day One.
Source: Mirror
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