Barry Keoghan is set to play Ringo Starr in an upcoming Beatles biopic directed by Sam Mendes, according to confirmation from the legendary drummer himself.

Starr divulged the casting during a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, saying, "I think it's great. I believe he's somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many."

According to Variety, however, no deals have officially been closed for the upcoming Beatles biopics, which are being made with the band’s full approval and musical rights. Other actors who’ve been linked to the project include Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn, and Paul Mescal.

If Keoghan is in fact tapped for the Ringo role, it’d be the biggest casting of his career so far. The Irish actor starred in Saltburn last year, and he’s slated to co-star alongside fellow Irish actor Cilian Murphy in the upcoming Peaky Blinders film coming to Netflix.

Reflecting the Beatles' massive influence, Sony Pictures has elected to produce four different films to zoom in on each member of the band, rather than go the more typical biopic route. Mendes, the director behind American Beauty as well as the Bond films Skyfall and Spectre, was tapped to direct all four flicks. They're expected to arrive in theaters in 2027.

"I'm honoured to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies," Mendes said.

Starr, Paul McCartney, and the families of late Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison have granted full life-story and music rights for the scripted film.

Source: Press Release