Entertainment · Film · 1 hr ago
Paul McCartney asks Sam Mendes not to make him look shorter in Beatles films
Sam Mendes is directing four Beatles films, with Paul Mescal playing Paul McCartney and Harris Dickinson playing John Lennon.
McCartney says the Beatles were about the same height, apart from Ringo Starr, who was a bit shorter.
A filming still appeared to show Mescal shorter than Dickinson as the cast recreated the Abbey Road crossing.
McCartney texted Mendes, “Don’t do this!”, and Mendes said the difference came from their stride pattern; he also sent another picture in which they looked equal in height.
McCartney has objected to a similar portrayal before, in the 2009 film Nowhere Boy, where he said his character looked smaller than Lennon.
The four films are due in cinemas in April 2028, and each will tell the band’s story from a different member’s point of view.
Paul McCartney asked director Sam Mendes not to depict him as shorter than John Lennon in the upcoming Beatles films.
McCartney said a still from filming showed Paul Mescal, who plays him, markedly shorter than the actor playing Lennon.
He said the Beatles were about the same height, while Ringo Starr was a bit shorter.
Mendes reassured McCartney that the difference in the still was due to the actors’ stride pattern and sent another picture in which they appeared equal in height.
The four films are scheduled for theatrical release in April 2028.
- Who
- Paul McCartney and director Sam Mendes. Paul Mescal plays McCartney in the films.
- What
- McCartney asked Mendes not to make his character look shorter than John Lennon. Mendes said the difference in the still was due to stride pattern.
- When
- McCartney discussed the issue in a recent interview on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast. The films are scheduled for release in April 2028.
- Where
- The still showed the cast crossing Abbey Road in London.
- Why
- McCartney said the Beatles were about the same height and objected to his character appearing markedly shorter than Lennon.
Paul McCartney
Sam Mendes
Depiction of McCartney’s height
Paul McCartney
McCartney objected to a still in which the Paul character appeared markedly shorter than the John character, saying the Beatles were about the same height.
Sam Mendes
Mendes reassured McCartney that the difference in the still was due to stride pattern and shared another picture in which they appeared equal in height.
McCartney saw a still of the cast crossing the Abbey Road crossing and noticed the Paul character appeared markedly shorter than the John character.
McCartney texted Mendes to object to the height difference.
Mendes said it was due to the stride pattern and sent another picture in which the actors appeared equal in height.
The four Beatles films are scheduled for theatrical release.
- Director
- Sam Mendes
- Paul McCartney actor
- Paul Mescal
- John Lennon actor
- Harris Dickinson
- Number of films
- Four
- Scheduled release
- April 2028
- Filming still location
- Abbey Road crossing, London
3 sources
Paul McCartney reclama da altura de Paul Mescal, que vive o ex-Beatle em filmes
Paul McCartney Calls Out Beatles Movies Because Paul Mescal Is Shorter Than John Lennon Actor; He Texted Director Sam Mendes: ‘Don’t Do This!’
Paul McCartney on the bugbear from upcoming Beatles biopics that made him text Sam Mendes “don’t do this!”
What people are saying
We were all the same height, and Ringo was a bit smaller.
Sam! Smaller? Don’t do this! You said you wouldn’t do it.
It’s OK, it’s just the stride pattern