Saoirse Ronan to play Linda McCartney in Sam Mendes’ Beatles film series

Saoirse Ronan joins Sam Mendes’ The Beatles film series as Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney’s first wife

Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan has officially signed on to portray Linda McCartney, the late wife of Paul McCartney, in Sam Mendes’ highly anticipated project The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event.

The series, backed by Sony Pictures and Apple Corps, marks the first time The Beatles have authorized their life stories and music for scripted films.

Ronan joins a star-studded cast that includes Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon. Each of the four films will focus on a different band member’s life and perspective, with Ronan’s role as Linda McCartney expected to play a central part in the Paul McCartney installment.

Linda McCartney, known for her pioneering work as a photographer, musician, and animal rights activist, made history as the first female photographer to have her work featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. She married Paul McCartney in 1969 and performed with him in Wings before launching her vegetarian food brand, Linda McCartney Foods, in 1991. She passed away in 1998 after a battle with cancer.

The Beatles films, written by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne, will be produced by Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Julie Pastor, and Alexandra Derbyshire under Neal Street Productions. All four installments are slated for a global theatrical release in April 2028.

Ronan, best known for her performances in Brooklyn, Lady Bird, and Little Women, was recently seen in The Outrun and Steve McQueen’s Blitz. She’ll next appear in A24’s Deep Cuts opposite Austin Butler.