Anna Sawai to Portray Yoko Ono in Upcoming Beatles Biopic
Kiwi-Japanese actress Anna Sawai has been cast as Yoko Ono in a four-part biopic chronicling the story of The Beatles, slated for release in 2028. The announcement adds another key piece to the ensemble cast bringing the iconic band’s story to the big screen.
Sawai, who recently earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Lady Mariko in Shōgun, will portray the artist and musician whose relationship with John Lennon became a defining aspect of the band’s later years. She joins Mia McKenna-Bruce (as Maureen Starr, ringo Starr’s first wife), Saoirse Ronan (as linda mccartney, Paul McCartney’s first wife), and Aimee Lou Wood (as Pattie Boyd, George Harrison’s first wife).
The films will each focus on the perspective of a different Beatle – John Lennon (Harris Dickinson), paul mccartney (Paul Mescal), George Harrison (Joseph Quinn), and Ringo Starr (Barry Keoghan) - tracing thier journey from Liverpool unknowns to global superstars before their 1970 breakup.
Director Sam Mendes stated, “Maureen, Linda, Yoko and Pattie are four interesting and unique figures in their own right - and I’m thrilled that we’ve managed to persuade four of the most talented women working in film today to join this amazing adventure.”
This project marks the first time the band and their estates have granted music and life rights for a theatrical feature film. Ono and Lennon married in 1969 and remained together until Lennon’s death in 1980.
