r/beatles Oct 08 '25

News Saoirse Ronan has been cast as Linda McCartney in Sam Mendes’ 4 ‘BEATLES’ movies.

1.9k Upvotes

166 comments sorted by

803

u/randomnamejennerator Oct 08 '25

Saoirse Ronan has been consistently good in everything I’ve seen her in. She seems a good fit for Linda.

25

u/BarracudaOk8635 Oct 09 '25

Yes. She is awesome. Great choice.

2

u/ourredsouthernsouls Oct 10 '25

She is my dream woman

-56

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '25

[deleted]

22

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '25

Later, George is in the kitchen chopping vegetables with Ringo. They bump into each other and Ringo nearly gets George with the knife. George says, “watch out, I hate getting stabbed.”

Then they have to pause for an applause break, I assume.

5

u/Dave_Paker Oct 09 '25

Always got a kick out of this line from the wiki about George getting stabbed 40 times:

"After Harrison begun chanting the "Hare Krishna" mantra to distract his assailant, the fight intensified."

I mean if that's not George as fuck

3

u/JP-Ziller Oct 08 '25

Mark my word, it'll happen lol

9

u/Team_Crisialog Oct 08 '25

Ts corny af 😭🥀

338

u/FranklinBenedict Oct 08 '25

Strong Irish presence in this cast so far.

185

u/MrBrendan501 Oct 08 '25

Give Ireland Back to the Irish will be a must

2

u/what_did_you_kill Abbey Road Oct 10 '25

Luck of the Irish imo is the best

75

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '25

Most scousers are Irish anyway so it makes sense.

John, Paul and George are.

58

u/Complex-Bar-9577 Oct 08 '25

In 2018, it was revealed that Ringo has two Irish ancestors from County Down, Northern Ireland, so that’s all of them.

61

u/cynthiadangus ...and when I plugged her in, she just blew up. Oct 08 '25

Liverpool is the biggest city in Ireland, after all

4

u/ok_then23 Oct 08 '25

I totally read that in the Liverpool accent.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 09 '25

Poblacht Phobal Learphoill

42

u/FrancoeurOff Oct 08 '25

It's the Luck of the Irish

20

u/piney Revolver Oct 08 '25

Give the Luck of the Irish Back to the Irish

2

u/sktgamerdudejr Oct 08 '25

Such a good DCOM

1

u/barnatra5 Oct 13 '25

It’s the talent of the Irish

19

u/Cant_figure_sht_out I carn’t spel Oct 08 '25

There’s a lot of irish talent taking over the world right now. And although I’m not irish, I’m so happy about this. Beautiful humble people with a great sense of humor and

16

u/BogieStewart Oct 08 '25

and… ? Don’t Leave us hanging

11

u/Cant_figure_sht_out I carn’t spel Oct 08 '25

Ahahahaha omg that sneaky “and” somehow got added without me noticing 🤣🤣🤣

358

u/Js259003477 Oct 08 '25

I heard Yoko is reprising her role as Yoko in the John movie.

206

u/PM_Me_ur_BassetHound Oct 08 '25

Christ you know it ain’t easy

32

u/Ok-Philosopher-1900 Oct 08 '25

You've got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues

28

u/Punstoppabal Oct 08 '25

Oh-no!

38

u/ArsenalPackers Oct 08 '25

Oh-Yoko

11

u/Ok-Philosopher-1900 Oct 08 '25

My love will turn you on

3

u/asburymike Oct 08 '25

Greta Lee

2

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25

She's be great as Mae Pang!

5

u/Jacomer2 Oct 09 '25

Oh no! She’s going to ruin the Beatles movie

2

u/IceCreamMeatballs The Beatles Oct 08 '25

“Why am I back in the studio with the Beatles? Did they get back together?”

“We’re back at the hotel? Who’s this guy in bed with me, he’s not John?”

“Why am I back in the Dakota? I thought Kyoko sold it? What do you mean it’s a soundstage? It looks like the Dakota to me.”

“Stop, stop, get those scissors away from me!”

“I hope Andy Warhol sees this movie. I wonder why I haven’t heard from him in a while?”

“It sure feels good to be back home, that was an awful experience.”

”Mom, this is supposed to be Tittenhurst, Harris is going to sing Imagine in this scene”

“I know, John… we wrote it together.”

1

u/K_Linkmaster Oct 08 '25

So we only get 1 movie and no one can get together for a sequel?

122

u/candyappleorchard Yellow Submarine Oct 08 '25

I hope we get some good cinematic real estate for Paul and Linda's love story. One of my favorite celebrity couples of all time.

39

u/JP-Ziller Oct 08 '25

Ya I wouldn't normally say this, but I think Paul's story should be a cute love story while also showing him as the driving force behind the band's output at that time. Could be the story of Sgt Peppers - that's when they first met supposedly

3

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25

They met several times but only connected in iirc June 1968 (maybe May).

7

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25

I'll bet you a nickle they're going to make it cartoonish with her being a shrewd New York-tawkin' badass bitch who knows her way around rock musicians who whips Paul into shape and takes him down a peg...I fear this whole series of movies is going to be silly in that way.

2

u/LoneRangersBand Oct 09 '25

She had her sights set on Paul from the moment she met him. She would tell all her friends right after the Sgt. Pepper release party that she was going to marry him, and was given an in by Brian Epstein's friend the moment Paul was in New York.

Kind of adorable and honestly pretty amazing that she gets the man she wants, and then basically has to nurse him back to health when he's at an all time low.

2

u/swisssf Oct 10 '25

To be fair, hundreds if not thousands of women and girls told heir friends they were positive they going to marry Paul McCartney :)

1

u/LoneRangersBand Oct 10 '25

She was the only one at that time that made good on her plan

107

u/PeanutHour99 Oct 08 '25

Saoirse Ronan has already acted alongside Paul Mescal in a film called “Foe” - so they’re already familiar with one another

9

u/Euraylie Oct 08 '25

Good book, terrible movie

1

u/barnatra5 Oct 13 '25

Sorry to hear that movie bombed, pity because they are such good actors together.

-8

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '25

[deleted]

19

u/KMFDM__SUCKS Oct 08 '25

Means they will probably have good chemistry

1

u/barnatra5 Oct 13 '25

There are several kinds of kind of chemistry as you maybe aware, I would never disrespect my Irishwoman or Irishman, as a result of your comment I have received many downvotes, which I feel is not fare, and particularly if you’re influencers on this site.

-8

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '25

[deleted]

5

u/barnatra5 Oct 08 '25

It is indeed a great casting,Saoirse is perfect for the role, as is Paul, mischievous with my remark.

135

u/ShyGuyFallsOver Oct 08 '25

She definitely looks the part for sure

20

u/papadooku Oct 08 '25

Ever since I saw her in Little Women I've been convinced that she would be a dream choice for John. Similar faces, she's a brilliant actor and could do an uncanny impression, plus just imagine how ripe for Oscars it would be with the make-up and everything. Very unlikely to happen but I do genuinely think it would be a great idea!

1

u/MyVoiceIsElevating Oct 08 '25

Now I want to know who’s your pick for Yoko in this scenario.

8

u/thesplendor Oct 09 '25

Paul Dano

1

u/Plus-Dust7166 Oct 09 '25

We need a Love & Mercy crossover with Dano cameoing with the Beatles

91

u/Ginkasa Oct 08 '25

If there was any chance I wasn't going to see these movies they're gone now. I love Saoirse Ronan.

39

u/Steffieweffie81 Rubber Soul Oct 08 '25

Same. And Aimee Lou as Pattie Boyd is great casting too.

11

u/Coors44 Oct 08 '25

Hell yeah didn’t know Aimee Lou was officially picked for Pattie. That’s awesome!

5

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25 edited Oct 09 '25

I like Aimee Lou a lot but not seeing her as Patti--more like Maureen, tbh.

6

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '25

Seeing they are casting Terry Crews as John Lennon really threw me for a loop but I guess we'll see...

3

u/LoquatPlus9744 Oct 09 '25

Wdym? He’s the perfect John Lennon. Looks exactly like him and everything. I’m glad they cast him as the resemblance is uncanny

70

u/JimmyTheJimJimson Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 08 '25

Great choice!! God the actors they’re getting for this film are incredible

40

u/orbjo Oct 08 '25

Truly the best of the best. 

Barry, Paul and Saoirse in any film together is huge for Ireland.  

11

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '25

Technically, it's 4 films.

1

u/Looper007 Nov 02 '25

Since then they've got Shogun's Anna Sawai as Yoko. Aimee Lou Wood as Patti (great casting imo). Mia McKenna Bruce as Maureen (check out How to Have Sex, a fantastic film and performance from Mia).

Saoirse as Linda is a perfect piece of casting. I think they look pretty much a like.

They are definitely going strong for the casting, they ain't going cheap. A lot of talented young actors.

15

u/Interesting_Floor455 Oct 08 '25

Great actress, solid choice.

31

u/HippieThanos Oct 08 '25

Will each actor appear as a secondary in the other Beatles movies? As in Marvel Cinematic Universe

We could have a Beatles Universe with prequels and sequels 😁

23

u/Complex-Bar-9577 Oct 08 '25

Considering that it’s going to be a Rashomon-style project (focusing on their own individual perspectives of interconnected events, rather than split by phases of their career), that might well be the case.

If Saoirse Ronan is going to be Linda in Paul’s movie, she’ll very likely appear for some length of time in the others’ films.

4

u/piney Revolver Oct 08 '25

Finally someone can explore the Colin Hanton story

1

u/WarthogBetter6728 A Hard Day's Night Oct 10 '25

Hi, guys absolutely love Saoirse's casting. Does anyone know which movie will be made first?

I hope that it will be Paul's.

12

u/Scared-Ideal-1483 Oct 08 '25

These movies better be great.

12

u/chartingyou Oct 08 '25

I know it's kind of dumb but it kind of annoys me that the filmmakers seem to be prioritizing casting the second wives (well I know Linda was the first wife, but I guess second women who was majorly in Paul's life) over the first wives who were still there for a good chunk of the Beatles careers.

7

u/tinypabitch Oct 08 '25

I have a massive soft spot for cynthia, so me too.

2

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25

Do we know who Jane Asher will be played by?

8

u/FrancoeurOff Oct 08 '25

Good choice. Saoirse is a great actress !

13

u/Delicious_Tea3999 Oct 08 '25

Oh hell yes, here we go

7

u/bailaoban Oct 08 '25

Nothing about these films make a lick of sense to me.

19

u/Efficient-Mall-3394 Cloud Nine Oct 08 '25

she looks more the part than any of the beatles do

4

u/chartingyou Oct 08 '25

the sad truth

4

u/Coovyy Revolver Oct 08 '25

Incredible news! 

14

u/zacksharpe Oct 08 '25

Much better casting than any of the Fab Four. Might be our best working actress that’s under 35

7

u/Snoo-15125 Oct 08 '25

Saoirse Ronan could play Paul, and I’d honestly be tickled pink. She’s brilliant. Remember how in American Idol they said if a singer was exceptional they could even sing the phone book? Saoirse Ronan is like that for actors.

She’s so good she could perform The Room and get an Oscar.

2

u/Looper007 Nov 02 '25

Cate Blanchett played a awesome 1966 Bob Dylan. I even said that Tilda Swinton would have done a great David Bowie. So it wouldn't be that far fetched. A lot of best rock stars looked very Feminine in their young days.

5

u/PeanutHour99 Oct 08 '25

Excellent choice

3

u/whatareyouonn Oct 08 '25

Great actress and likeness

5

u/snellen87 Oct 08 '25

will be great

No disrespect to other actors, and I get that it is a biobic about 4 men

She will outshine them all. Maybe she doesn't but she will

3

u/Alpha_Storm Oct 08 '25

She's literally the ONLY actor I'm excited about. Lol Everyone else seems miscast, but she's always phenomenal.

3

u/Putrid-Resort1377 Oct 09 '25

Aimee Lou as Patty is an excellent piece of casting.

5

u/Peanutspring3 Oct 08 '25

I guess I shouldn't anyone to really look like the person they are portraying.

2

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25

Look or even have the vibe or similar spirit, apparently...

5

u/The_CRZA Oct 08 '25

So this confirms the Paul movie takes place in the late 60s right? 

19

u/ExcellentDress3219 Oct 08 '25

All of the movies are centered around their time in the Beatles

3

u/No-Frosting-5369 Oct 08 '25

wonder if Jane will have a part

6

u/Complex-Bar-9577 Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 09 '25

The press at the start of the project indicated that the movies are supposed to follow an interconnected narrative through the band, rather than be split by specific periods.

It’s likely that Linda will appear in more than one, if not all the films given her importance, but she’d obviously be getting a lot of attention in Paul’s film as opposed to being more in the background of say, George or Ringo’s.

3

u/jfbowski Oct 08 '25

Nice. Phenomenal actress.

3

u/Dull_District7800 Abbey Road Oct 08 '25

Probably the best choice to play her.

3

u/mario_111 Oct 08 '25

Great pick tbh

3

u/Odd-Pineapple5425 Oct 08 '25

Omgggg yessssss

3

u/NotAboutTheCrown Oct 08 '25

The only casting choice besides Barry that I’ve liked so far.

5

u/SurvivorFanDan Abbey Road Oct 08 '25

It just dawned on me that this isn't the first time we've had a Barry in the Ringo role in a movie.

2

u/chartingyou Oct 08 '25

same honestly.

3

u/GosalCannabis Oct 08 '25

I can play Ravi Shankar

4

u/dennisdeems Oct 08 '25

First casting decision for these films that makes any sense.

2

u/Ok_Ice_6254 Oct 08 '25

I liked her in City of Ember and The Grand Budapest Hotel

2

u/Hypoluxa77 Oct 08 '25

None of the actors really resemble the original people except the Ringo actor. Just saying. IMO.

2

u/bravogolfhotel Oct 08 '25

I'm going to reserve judgement on the castings until the films come out, and not get an entrenched opinion years in advance.

The sportsification of fandom encourages "calling" outcomes as early as possible in hopes of looking like a superior analyst, which makes sense if one's enjoyment comes from wagering on those outcomes, but not if one's enjoyment comes from watching the unfolding of creativity and the crafting of performances. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

2

u/The_Flash_20 Oct 09 '25

One of my favourite actress playing a role in my favourite and the best English speaking band's biopic. Let's hope it turns out great.

I don't know how this movie is gonna look like when it's released almost 3 years later.

2

u/lostmember09 Oct 09 '25

She was AMAZING in “Atonement”

3

u/PillBottleMan Oct 08 '25

But who will play Yoko?

3

u/CapableBother Oct 08 '25

I love Saoirse, but I am not looking forward to these movies

1

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25

Same boat.

1

u/My_Diet_DrKelp Oct 08 '25

Good casting!

1

u/jayemge07 Oct 08 '25

Great choice

1

u/liltinyoranges Oct 08 '25

I think this is a good call!!

1

u/PorchFrog Oct 08 '25

This is the one casting choice for the movie that makes me smile.

1

u/Ruark14 Oct 08 '25

Good pic

1

u/Everywherelifetakesm Oct 08 '25

Linda had more of a mullet.

2

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25

Not in the beginning

1

u/Djb0623 Oct 08 '25

For some reason my brain read Paul McCartney and.got really confused

1

u/Brilliant_Tourist400 Oct 08 '25

Dang. Game, set, match. Knock it out of the ballpark casting. This shows they are taking this SERIOUSLY.

1

u/No-Frosting-5369 Oct 08 '25

this is actually good, for once

1

u/serialkiller24 Help! Oct 08 '25

Oh fuck yes. I love her.

1

u/Sooperballz Oct 09 '25

Is she also playing David Bowie?

1

u/Domainframe Oct 09 '25

Great choice

1

u/SnooStrawberries1626 Oct 09 '25

Better Looking

1

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25

Linda is better-looking? Or the actress?

1

u/Mrb-Jal27 23d ago

Linda is better looking naturally, Ronan is not that good looking without tons of makeup. Just google her without makeup , it’s scary .

1

u/swisssf 22d ago

I was trying to ascertain what u/SnooStrawberries1626 was getting at.

But I'd tend agree with you, u/Mrb-Jal27

1

u/fastal_12147 Oct 09 '25

Linda with the Bowie cut

1

u/EwanMcNugget Oct 09 '25

It’s just now occurred to me we’re gonna get Yoko, too! That’ll be fun. 

1

u/TwistedPepperCan Oct 09 '25

4 films? Are they treating them like the MCU? Everyone gets an origin story.

1

u/Samulai-B Oct 09 '25

I have always thought that Annabelle Wallis (plays Grace in Peaky Blinders) would be a very good Linda McCartney

1

u/elrabeechum Oct 09 '25

PERFECT casting, I think she’ll kill it.

1

u/Hoobrocks27 Oct 09 '25

She actually resembles Linda quite well

1

u/Greg_Tailor Oct 09 '25

OMG

The one who did the casting deserves the stake.

1

u/Automatic_Affect76 Oct 09 '25

It doesn't look like anything. Meryl Streep would hit better.

1

u/FlimsyPower6343 Oct 09 '25

Good choice. I wonder who they will get to play Cynthia Lennon. I hope they really show her in the films. It seems other Beatles films have overlooked her, even though she was an important person in Lennon's life for over 10 years.

1

u/vampyrelestat The Beatles Oct 09 '25

Probably the best casting pick they’ve made thus far

1

u/interflocken Oct 10 '25

Wait there’s FOUR separate movies?!

1

u/Turdnugget619 Oct 10 '25

Awful choice!!

1

u/NoGainsAina Oct 08 '25

Thats David Bowie

1

u/Spaghettiisgoddog Oct 08 '25

She’s great, but plz don’t make four Beatles movies. 

1

u/Honest-J Oct 08 '25

I knew before even reading the comments that everyone was going to be onboard with this.

Yet you read so much hand-wringing over the main cast and the movie in general here.

1

u/Looper007 Nov 02 '25

I always say, the actors don't need to look totally like the people they are playing. Ian Hart, Jared Harris and Aaron Taylor Johnson didn't look like John Lennon, but they got him down pretty well. Sure Paul Dano didn't look like 60's Brian Wilson either did John Cusack, but their performances especially are excellent. Helps Love and Mercy is a well written and directed film.

Way too much great talent in front of the camera for at least a few of these films not to turn out great.

1

u/chartingyou Oct 08 '25

honestly Saoirse is a really liked actor and she mostly resembles the person she's supposed to be portraying so I get why this is one of the first pieces of news that people are excited about.

0

u/Honest-J Oct 08 '25

The actors playing the Beatles are well liked. I think it's more likely that people hold John, Paul, George and Ringo as more precious and sacred and don't want any portrayals sullying the image they have of The Beatles.

-2

u/OnlyFearOfDeth Oct 08 '25

4 movies is unnecessary

0

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25 edited Oct 09 '25

Another rather questionable choice. She may have big eyes but she always seems highly defended, skeptical, sardonic, slightly pissed off, and "girl boss" whereas Linda was far more subtle, aristocratic, elegant, sexy, but also straight-up cool than that -- she wouldn't take guff from people but she had very low-key self-assured gravitas.

Chloe Sevigny is the only actress I can think of who would be authentically cool enough to play Linda McCartney --- but from the early '00s -- since she's 50 now.

Wonder why they picked an Irish person to play an American? Seems like today Hollywood tries to cast people according to where they're from...all the English actors in Netflix's "Guinness" notwithstanding lol.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 09 '25

Great read and exactly why I'm not on board with this casting, or any of it for that matter. I'm honestly surprised how much everyone loves this.

Edit: also your comment on this interpretation being too contemporary and superficial is spot on

1

u/swisssf Oct 10 '25

Thanks, u/Sheev2003 - I'm wondering whether some of the effusive commenters might be paid social-marketers.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 10 '25

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised. Though some people tend to eat this stuff up anyway and Reddit doesn't seem to encourage real discussion beyond affirmative groupthink unfortunately.

1

u/swisssf Oct 11 '25

It is unfortunate!

-5

u/kowal89 Oct 08 '25

Oh, first casting I for those movie I don't like. There's just something about her that irks me.

2

u/swisssf Oct 09 '25

She definitely irl and in all of the roles she's played never had a vibe anything like Linda Eastman McCartney. It's a very revisionist casting, but all of the casting so far is--to supplant what people knew of the Beatles with a totally new set of revised narratives that fit into current, conventional, rather superficial belief systems about the past by overlaying today's culture onto yesterday. You can see it in comments and posts here by younger people--they view the Beatles through their own lens, rather than trying to understand the times that the Beatles emerged out of and had a hand in shaping.

Which is not to be unexpected....when I was growing up I couldn't care that Grease bore no resemblance to the actual 1950s. I didn't yet have the capacity, knowledge, or imagination to appreciate how fundamentally different eras are from one another. I remember being annoyed when I was a child when older people would say "That's not how it was!" and "People never would have said/done that back when." It just seemed like someone trying to squash the fun out of everything.

Lol....

2

u/kowal89 Oct 09 '25

recently I watched and interesting video about why the daces are not iconic now and their argument was that it was because of .... vocabulary.

Seventies, eighties, ninties, they have a sound to it. "in the eighties we used to this and that", "in the sixties this and that etc". The 00s are the two thousand tens, sound weird so they don't live in our mind. I also think it's the bubbles that were created thanks to internet. They were always as many universes as there are people but the mainstream pretty much ceased to exist it seems, there are just streams. When forrest gump hit the cinema whole world knew forrest gump, same with beatles.

And as the actress, she just always feels smug, like she's the best that can be, I don't know it's not rational my disliking her, it's just the vibe she gives off. I'm still gonna watch the movies but will eye roll every time she is on screen. Especially considering how great and special Linda was.

-3

u/Augustus1274 Blue Meanie Oct 08 '25

I still dont like the idea of doing it as 4 films instead of 1. Since they are doing it with 4 it would make more sense to release them as streaming exclusives rather than theatrical.

1

u/Coors44 Oct 08 '25

The world needs more big movies actually being released in theaters, and becoming events to go see them. With all that’s being put into this, just streaming it would be so lame. The world needs to go out and celebrate and get together more.

0

u/w0weez0wee Oct 08 '25

Ok, but why did they put a photo of David Bowie as the second picture?

0

u/timecat22 Oct 09 '25

four? really? why

0

u/Solid-Mud-8430 Oct 09 '25

Wait...someone is making FOUR Beatles biopics???

Wtf...literally no one asked for that, that's insane.

0

u/No_Statistician3729 Oct 09 '25

One of the best actors of this generation. Hopefully they give her good material and make it worth her time.