James Norton is set to play Brian Epstein, The Beatles’s long-time gay manager in four part film
"We're not just making one film about the Beatles – we're making four," announces filmmaker Sam Mendes
By Aaron Sugg
James Norton is set to play Brian Epstein, The Beatles’ long-time gay manager, in the upcoming film The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
This marks the first time The Beatles and their management company, Apple Corps Ltd., have granted rights for their life stories and music to be used in a scripted film.
According to Deadline, the A Little Life actor will star alongside Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, George Quinn, and Harris Dickinson, who will portray band members Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon.
“Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply” – Sam Mendes on his upcoming Beatles films
Produced by Sam Mendes, he spoke about the project at CinemaCon, via Variety, revealing: “We’re not just making one film about the Beatles – we’re making four. Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.”
Though it is unknown how often Norton will appear in the four films, he will play the role of the late Epstein, the music entrepreneur from Liverpool who discovered The Beatles in 1961 at the Cavern Club.
Despite having no industry experience, Epstein became their manager, securing them a record deal with EMI’s Parlophone label in 1962.
Who was Brian Epstein, The Beatles’s long-time manager?
Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, a time when it was illegal to be gay, Epstein faced significant challenges. As a student, he was arrested in 1957 for soliciting an undercover police officer for sex.
A year later, he was sexually assaulted, and after reporting the attack to the police, he was forced to testify in court, revealing his sexual orientation to his family.
Band member John Lennon admitted in a 1971 Rolling Stone interview that he knew Epstein was gay, referring to him as a “fag” and admitting he, himself enjoyed “playing a bit faggy and all that”.
“We did have a pretty intense relationship” – John Lennon on his relationship with Epstein
Addressing rumours of an intimate relationship between them, Lennon told Playboy in 1980, “Well, it was almost a love affair, but not quite. It was never consummated … but we did have a pretty intense relationship.”
Epstein had to hide his identity publicly, which contributed to his mental health struggles and addiction.
He died in 1967 at age 32 from an accidental overdose. Reflecting on his death, McCartney said in his memoir Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, “It was shattering, sad, and a little frightening. We loved him.”
The four films are slated for release in April 2028.