On April 1, I awoke to an Instagram direct message containing Sony Picture’s first announcement post for “The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event,” sent to me by a close friend. Most people would have simply scrolled past this announcement, but as a self-proclaimed Beatles fanatic and aspiring film enthusiast, I was immediately plagued by racing thoughts and suspicions of this being a poorly made April Fool’s joke. My initial disbelief was soon proven wrong, as I realized this announcement was sadly not a joke.
While rumors have been circulating around for months of these films and the casting choices for each member of the fab four, this is the first official announcement of these films. Director Sam Mendes stirred up a lot of controversy with these choices, deciding to cast what could be considered as four of Hollywood’s “favorite” actors in recent times. The films are set to star Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.
One of the main issues brought up was the decision to cast 30 and near-30-year-old actors to portray members of a boy band made up of teenagers at its conception. Aside from my vocal discontentment with some of the choices made (namely the casting of my personal favorite member, George Harrison), this announcement brought up more critical thoughts.
At times I have enjoyed a biopic I was initially reluctant about. The most recent example that comes to mind is “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan. When this casting choice was announced, my first reaction was disapproval. I lamented to many about how I believed they should have had an unknown actor casted instead of Hollywood darling Chalamet. Prior to this, I had seen many movies featuring Chalamet. I thought he was a good actor, but would he be able to pull off the iconic role of Dylan?
To my surprise, “A Complete Unknown” was a critical success and a personal favorite of the new films I’ve watched so far this year. I left the theater with a newfound appreciation for Chalamet and his dedication to the role.
Despite the shockingly positive opinion I had formed about “A Complete Unknown,” I am still very hesitant of new biopic announcements. This newfound resurgence of the genre brings me to question the lack of originality in new film releases.
It seems that nowadays almost every movie being announced by big studios is a remake, a retelling or a sequel of some kind. Many films of this type seem to lack any sense of inspiration or originality, instead relying on their predecessor or source material to do the heavy lifting.
Biopics also bring up the concern of ethics all too often. Many films are made primarily to capitalize on a celebrity’s image without taking into consideration their own well-being. A controversial film that comes to mind is “Blonde,” a recent biopic made about Marilyn Monroe. This film took little care to portray Monroe’s story in an honest and ethical way, often exploiting her image and turning her into a spectacle.
However, despite my disappointment in the casting choices of The Beatles, my main qualm does not lie with the actors chosen. It lies with my dissatisfaction in the lack of originality and heart that seems so prevalent in Hollywood today. The lack of originality in casting seen in new releases is apparent, with priority being given to name recognition and marketing appeal rather than resemblance or talent.
Despite the dedication actors put in, these stories often feel dry and uninspired. This fault lies directly on the executives who decide to green light these movies.
Original films have proven time and time again that they can be incredibly successful critically and commercially. One film that stood out in a year filled with releases, remakes and sequels was “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.” The film went on to win seven Oscars and grossed over $100 million worldwide, despite its budget of only $25 million. Original ideas can be very successful artistically and financially, oftentimes more so than remakes and sequels.
By deciding to cast aside fresh, new ideas and actors, Hollywood is doing a disservice to viewers and itself. What Hollywood needs is new ideas, not another biopic.
