NEWSPaul McCartney Reveals His Biggest Frustration With Upcoming Beatles Biopics: 'Don't Do This'
Paul McCartney wants accuracy in the Beatles biopic.
Oct. 15 2026, Published 4:04 p.m. ET
Paul McCartney recently voiced a major gripe regarding the upcoming Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes, titled The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
The concern arose after a promotional image was released showing the new cast recreating the iconic Abbey Road zebra crossing.
Upon inspecting the photograph, the legendary musician immediately spotted a detail that rubbed him the wrong way. Mescal, who is set to play him, appeared visibly shorter than his castmates.
"I said, 'Sam, I’ve got just one thing that I need to say to you. You know, Paul’s a bit small,'" he recalled during his appearance on Amy Poehler’s "Good Hang" podcast. "I texted him, 'Sam! Smaller! Don’t do this, you said you wouldn’t do it!'"
Paul McCartney Set the Record Straight on Bandmates' Heights
Paul McCartney clarified the real heights of band members.
The 84-year-old icon doubled down on historical accuracy, emphasizing that, aside from their drummer, the core members of the Fab Four shared virtually identical statures.
He emphasized that he and his bandmates in The Beatles, namely John Lennon and George Harrison, "were all the same height.”
He pointed out that Ringo Starr was the sole exception, describing him as “a bit smaller.”
Sam Mendes Corrected the Perception
Sam Mendes explained visual photo illusion quickly.
However, Mendes was quick to reassure the rock legend, explaining that the apparent height difference was merely an optical illusion caused by the actors' stances while walking, rather than a genuine physical discrepancy.
"He said, 'No, it’s okay, it’s just the stride pattern,'" McCartney added. "He sent me another one where they were equal."
For Mendes’ upcoming project, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn will star in individual biopics as McCartney, Lennon, Starr and Harrison, respectively.
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McCartney Recalled Past Cinematic Missteps in 'Nowhere Boy'
McCartney remembered inaccurate height depictions in past.
This isn't the first time screen adaptations have misrepresented these physical dynamics, much to McCartney's frustration.
He pointed back to Sam Taylor-Johnson’s 2009 coming-of-age feature Nowhere Boy, where Aaron Taylor-Johnson's depiction of a young John Lennon towered over Thomas Brodie-Sangster's portrayal of McCartney.
"My character is kind of wimpy, smaller than John," he quipped. "John knocks me to the floor, and it’s like, 'Sam, this is not true.'"
McCartney Didn't Like Sam Taylor-Johnson's Justification
Paul McCartney rejected creative excuses of Sam Taylor-Johnson.
When McCartney confronted the Nowhere Boy filmmaker over the artistic license taken with his real-life persona, her defense failed to satisfy him.
“Her only explanation — bless her because she’s still a good friend — she said, ‘This is a movie, it’s not a documentary,’” he continued. “I thought, ‘Well, I don’t like that explanation,’ but I couldn’t do anything because, by now, she’s made the film.”
The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event is expected to premiere in April 2028.
