Beatles drama 'Hamburg Days' begins filming in Germany, exploring the band’s early years

The Beatles, when they started, performed more than 250 shows in Hamburg between 1960 and 1962

A major new television drama about the early years of The Beatles has officially begun filming in Hamburg and Liverpool.

Titled Hamburg Days, the six-part series will chronicle the formative period when the future Fab Four performed more than 250 shows in Hamburg between 1960 and 1962, a pivotal chapter that helped shape them into one of the most influential bands in music history.

The drama is inspired by the memoirs of Klaus Voormann, the longtime friend of the band who later played bass on several Beatles-related recordings and designed the iconic cover of their 1966 album Revolver.

According to producers, the series will depict the band’s early lineup, including bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and drummer Pete Best, as they meet Voormann and photographer Astrid Kirchherr. Their friendship is credited with influencing the group’s image and helping transform them from “a scrappy group of teenagers into the greatest music phenomenon the world has ever known.”

Kirchherr, who died in 2020 at age 81, played a significant role in shaping the Beatles’ distinctive visual style, including the famous mop-top haircut. She was also engaged to Sutcliffe, who left the band to pursue art studies in Hamburg before his death from a brain hemorrhage in 1962 at just 21 years old.

The series was written by Jamie Carragher, a Wirral-born writer who previously worked on Succession. It will be directed by Christian Schwochow, known for his work on The Crown, and Laura Lackmann.

The cast includes Rhys Mannion as John Lennon, Ellis Murphy as Paul McCartney, Harvey Brett as George Harrison, Louis Landau, and Patrick Gilmore. Luna Jordan will portray Kirchherr, while Casper von Bülow will play Voormann.

Produced by British and German companies, Hamburg Days will also shoot in Munich and across Merseyside before airing on BBC One. 

The project arrives as Sam Mendes continues work on a separate four-film Beatles project, currently filming in Liverpool and scheduled for release in 2028.

With renewed interest in the band’s origins, Hamburg Days promises to offer a fresh look at the friendships, struggles, and artistic influences that helped launch The Beatles’ extraordinary journey to global superstardom.