The Beatles are set to make a major return to the big screen, with a four-film quadrilogy starring heartthrobs Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn, and Barry Keoghan. Can this new generation of ‘internet sensations’ spark a cinema Beatlemania revival?
The Internet’s Boyfriends: Can They Spark Cinema Beatlemania?
The Fab Four are back, but not as you know them. This time around, they’ll be played by four leading heartthrobs of the moment: Paul Mescal (‘the internet’s boyfriend’), who will play McCartney, Harris Dickinson (Lennon), Joseph Quinn (Harrison) and Barry Keoghan (Starr). The 60s rock ‘n’ roll icons will star in a big-screen quadrilogy directed by Sir Sam Mendes, all set for release in 2028.
A New Generation of Beatlemania
The term ‘the internet’s boyfriends‘ was coined by Glamour magazine to describe a famous or semi-famous male person whom your entire Twitter feed has a crush on at the same time. When Sir Sam walked out on stage with his ‘band‘ at Las Vegas’ CinemaCon, the message was clear: if 1960s Beatlemania was defined by teenage girls fainting and screaming, the plan now is to get Gen Z – in internet parlance – ‘screaming, crying, throwing up‘ from behind their phone screens in excitement.
An internet boyfriend, also known as an online partner or digital beau, is a person with whom one has a romantic relationship primarily conducted over the internet.
This phenomenon has gained significant attention in recent years, particularly among young women.
According to a survey, 1 in 5 women aged 18-24 have had an online romance.
Internet boyfriends can provide emotional support, companionship, and intimacy, often filling a void left by lack of social connections or relationships in real life.
Each actor fits the mould of ‘the internet’s boyfriends‘. Paul Mescal, whose popularity mirrors a smidge the frenzy the Beatles once sparked, has shot to fame with his role in Normal People and Oscar-nominated performances in Aftersun and Gladiator II. Fellow Irishman Barry Keoghan is also Oscar-nominated for Banshees of Inisherin and has become a rugged sex symbol in last year’s cult hit Saltburn. Harris Dickinson and Joseph Quinn are earlier in their trajectory, but still burning bright – the former recently starring alongside Nicole Kidman in erotic thriller Babygirl and the latter turning heads in Netflix’s Stranger Things.
A Strategic Move
The casting as ‘logical and predictable‘ – a strategic move by the band to secure their legacy with a new generation. Studios grapple with the ambition of luring streaming era, post-Covid, audiences back to the cinema not once, but four times in close proximity. The timing and scope of the project sums up the Beatles’ unique heritage as the best-selling band of all-time – the catalyst for shifting youth culture and the boundaries of pop.
A Big-Screen Quadrilogy
Each film will focus on an individual member of the band. ‘They intersect in different ways – sometimes overlapping, sometimes not,’ Sir Sam explained. ‘They’re four very different human beings.‘ Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.‘ The Beatle biopics are aimed at creating what Sony executive Tom Rothman described as ‘the first bingeable theatrical experience‘. Films can now develop distinct digital identities through audience projection, as seen by the viral success of Saltburn.
Several films have been made about the Beatles, including 'A Hard Day's Night' (1964), 'Help!' (1965), and 'Yellow Submarine' (1968).
More recent biopics like 'Backbeat' (1994) and 'Nowhere Boy' (2009) focus on individual band members.
The 2021 film 'Get Back' offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Beatles' final days together.
These films provide a glimpse into the lives of one of music's most influential bands.
A Risky Gambit
However, there are risks. Dade Hayes, business writer at Deadline and co-author of Binge Times, says that market realities present cautionary signs. The UK box office is yet to fully bounce back from the pandemic, while US takings are more than 20% below pre-Covid levels. A multi-release strategy relies on the ‘fuse being lit with the first instalment‘, Hayes points out.
A Missed Opportunity
But beyond industry dynamics there’s also a cast talking point much closer to home. The Beatles biopics, celebrating four Scouse lads who conquered the world and put Liverpool on the map, will not feature any local talent in the lead roles. This has left some Liverpudlians feeling disappointed and underrepresented.
A Beatlemania Revival
The Beatles have long been more than just a local band. They keep growing. Way back in 1966, Lennon infamously described them as bigger than Jesus. Over five decades on, the studio behind the four films – and perhaps cinema in general – is no doubt banking on a Beatlemania revival. Social media is already awash with excitement over the project, with fans eagerly anticipating the big-screen quadrilogy.
