Brian May explains his issue with The Beatles biopics: “I would dread it if that happened to Queen”

Posted On January 16, 2026January 16, 2026

Brian May has hit out against Sam Mendes’ upcoming set of biopics on The Beatles, describing it as “pretty invidious”.

Rather than telling the story of the Fab Four in one film, Mendes is making four movies, which will explore their iconic tale from the perspective of each member. Sony has hailed it as “the first bingeable theatrical experience”.

The all-star cast includes Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd, McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Starkey, and Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono.

However, in a new interview with the Daily Mail, May has slammed the decision to make four films, stating, “No, I would dread it if that happened to Queen. I love the Beatles, the Beatles are like the Bible.”

He then highlighted his concern with the films pitting each member of The Beatles against each other, adding, “But four films, I feel like it’s a horrible kind of thing where it’s a competition between them, that can be pretty invidious.”

Notably, the Queen story has already been told in Bohemian Rhapsody, which focused on Freddie Mercury, and saw Rami Malek win an Oscar for his portrayal of the late frontman.

May reflected of the film, “I’m happy with the film we made about Freddie, for now, I don’t need any more than that.”

The guitarist then explained the reason why he agreed to Bohemian Rhapsody, admitting, “I feel very proud that we did it for Freddie, not for us, it made it right for us, it was the right thing for us.”

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Mescal provided an update on The Beatles biopics, stating that the cast are currently “pinching ourselves” about the film.

However, he refused to be drawn into any details, adding, “To be honest, I can say very little — actually contractually, but also I’m kind of keen to say very little about it, because I’m excited that people want to know so much about it.”

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