Ringo Starr Definitely Had Notes For Director Sam Mendes on Beatles Biopic Script: ‘That’s Not How We Were’

Ringo Starr is all about peace and love. But the Beatles legend who has made mellow vibes his calling card for half a century had to share some tough love with director Sam Mendes when the pair met in London earlier this year to discuss the filmmaker’s ambitious four-part Fab Four biopic project.

Speaking to The New York Times, the drummer who will turn 85 on Monday (July 7) described sitting down with Mendes for two days in April to go over the script for the film in which Saltburn star Barry Keoghan will play the band’s timekeeper. The paper reported that the pair went over the script for the Ringo film line-by-line, with Starr offering up “extensive notes” to Mendes in an effort to get the story closer to the real thing.

In particular, Starr had some pointed suggestions about scenes depicting his family and his first wife, Maureen Starkey Tigrett. “He had a writer — very good writer, great reputation, and he wrote it great, but it had nothing to do with Maureen and I,” Starr explained. “That’s not how we were. I’d say, ‘We would never do that.’” Starr and Tigrett were married in 1965 and had three children, former Oasis/Who drummer Zak Starkey, son Jason and and daughter Lee, before splitting in 1975; Starr married actress/model Barbara Bach in 1981.

Starr said he’s much happier with how he’s portrayed in the script now, even though he’s not sure how Mendes will manage the monumental task of shooting the four films at the same time. “But he’ll do what he’s doing,” Starr said, “and I’ll send him peace and love.”

In addition to Keoghan portraying Starr, the cast of the films includes Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness, The Iron Claw), who will portray play John Lennon, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II, Aftersun) taking on Paul McCartney and Joseph Quinn (Gladiator II, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) suiting up as George Harrison. No other casting details have been announced so far. The scripts will be written by Tony Award-winner Jez Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari, Spectre) Oscar winner Peter Straughan (Conclave, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and BAFTA- and Tony Award-winner Jack Thorne (Adolescence, Enola Holmes).

At press time it was still unknown how the workload on the four films will be spread among the writers, or if they will collaborate on all four films that are currently being referred to as The Beatles — A Four Film Cinematic Event. The movies marks the first time that Apple Corps. Ltd. and the Beatles have granted full life story and music rights to a scripted film, with each movie slated to tell the story of one of the members. A press release also revealed that all four movies — due out in early 2028 — will intersect to tell “the astonishing story of the greatest band in history.”