Paul McCartney has raised a pointed concern with director Sam Mendes over how the upcoming Beatles films depict the height difference between McCartney and John Lennon.

During an appearance on the “Good Hang” podcast, McCartney said Paul Mescal, who plays him in the four-film project, appears noticeably shorter than Harris Dickinson, who portrays Lennon. Joseph Quinn is playing George Harrison, while Barry Keoghan has been cast as Ringo Starr.

McCartney insisted the apparent gap does not reflect how the Beatles actually looked together.

“We were all the same height!” he said. “We were all the same height, and Ringo was a bit smaller. And if you look at photos, we’re all the same height.”

McCartney took his concern directly to Sam Mendes

The musician said he had already discussed the issue with Mendes, who is directing all four movies. McCartney recalled telling the filmmaker that Mescal was “a bit smaller” than the actor playing Lennon, although he remained uncertain about how Mendes would address the difference on screen.

The matter came up again after Mendes sent McCartney a still from filming that showed the characters crossing the Abbey Road crossing.

“The Paul character is markedly smaller,” McCartney said. He responded by texting the director: “Sam! Smaller? Don’t do this! You said you wouldn’t do it.”

For McCartney, the issue is not limited to the Mendes films. He also spoke about his frustration with his portrayal in the 2009 biographical drama “Nowhere Boy,” directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

That movie starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a teenage John Lennon, with Thomas Brodie-Sangster appearing in a supporting role as McCartney. Brodie-Sangster is shorter than Taylor-Johnson, and McCartney said the film’s characterization compounded the visual disparity.

“My character is kind of wimpy. Smaller than John. John knocks me to the floor,” McCartney said. He recalled objecting to the director that the depiction was not true.

According to McCartney, Taylor-Johnson answered that the project was a movie rather than a documentary. Although he described her as a good friend, he made clear that the explanation did not satisfy him. By that stage, however, the film had already been made.

“There was I, little Paul. John, the great big hero,” he said. “It’s not true.”

Four perspectives, four theatrical releases

Mendes’ project is officially titled “The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.” Each movie will focus on one member of the band, giving Mescal, Dickinson, Quinn and Keoghan their own central installments.

The Sony Pictures-backed production is currently in the middle of a year-long shoot. All four films are scheduled to arrive in theaters in April 2028.

Producer Pippa Harris has said the release strategy is designed to let audiences experience the full project in cinemas over the same period. Speaking at the BFI London Film Festival, she said she does not expect moviegoers to watch all four installments on the same day.

Instead, viewers could potentially see one film each week, or divide the four movies across multiple weekends during the month. Whatever schedule audiences choose, Harris said the filmmakers hope people ultimately watch the complete four-film event.

ShowBiz Take

McCartney’s comments turn what might appear to be a minor casting detail into a question of perspective. Because the project is divided into four films centered on the individual Beatles, the way each musician is visually presented carries particular weight.

His objection is also rooted in experience. McCartney believes “Nowhere Boy” made his character look both physically smaller and less formidable than Lennon, and he does not want to see that dynamic repeated in Mendes’ new production.

The exchange does not establish whether the height difference will be adjusted in the finished films. It does, however, show that McCartney has made his position unmistakably clear to the director while filming is still underway.

What Happens Next?

Production on “The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event” remains in progress, with the four movies set for theatrical release in April 2028. For now, it is uncertain how Mendes will handle the difference McCartney noticed in the Abbey Road filming still—or whether the final version will resolve his concern.