Back in February 2024, it was announced that Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes had been tapped to direct four upcoming scripted biopics about The Beatles, each one told from the point-of-view of a different Fab Four member. In recent months, reports have circulated that Oscar-nominated actor Barry Keoghan may be portraying Ringo Starr in the movies, and now the famed Beatles drummer seems to have confirmed that news.
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In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Starr was asked what he thought about Keoghan possibly playing him in the films.
“Well, I think it’s great,” the 84-year-old rock legend responded. “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.”
The Dublin, Ireland-born Keoghan received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in the 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin. His credits also include acclaimed performances in Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) and Saltburn (2023).
[RELATED: Ringo Starr Drops New Country Duet Ballad With Alison Krauss, and I’m Beyond “Thankful”]
Starr went on to discuss the advice he gives young people who are trying to learn to play the drums.
Using his hands and thighs to demonstrate, Ringo noted that he shows aspiring drummers a simple beat to see if they can get the hang of it. Starr said he then gave his son a second lesson, and when his kid told him, “I can do that, Dad,” Ringo responded, “You’re on your own.”
Starr then explained that when people approach him and tell him that their kids are taking drum lessons, he’ll say, “Not too many, I hope,” noting, “You’ve got to let them get their own feel.”
More About the Upcoming Beatles Biopics
As previously reported, the four-film Beatles biopic project is expected to debut in 2027. According to a press statement, the movies, which were conceived by Mendes, “will intersect to tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history.”
The films are being made with the cooperation of The Beatles and the band’s Apple Corps Ltd. company. The project will mark the first time that full rights have been granted to use the Fab Four’s music and life stories in a scripted movie. Representing the band are Starr, Paul McCartney, and the families of the late John Lennon and George Harrison.
Mendes won an Academy Award in 2000 for directing American Beauty. He also was nominated for best director in 2020 for the film 1917. Other movies Mendes has directed include Road to Perdition, Empire of Light, and the James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre.
Starr Also Discussed What He Misses About His Late Beatles Bandmates
Also during the Entertainment Tonight interview, Starr shared what he missed about not being able to get together with his late Beatles bandmates Lennon and Harrison.
“Well, I miss them both, George and John,” Ringo said. “We were friends. [The Beatles] were like four brothers, and we looked out for each other.”
Reflecting and how the band members played together, Starr said, “[We were] like psychic. … We knew where we were going. No one had to look at you and … stamp their foot. It was beautiful playing with them, and we did it together. That’s what was great.”
About Ringo’s Upcoming Country Album
As previously reported, Starr will take a foray into country music with a new album titled Look Up that’s due out on January 10, 2025. The 11-track collection is Ringo’s first full-length studio album since he released What’s My Name in 2019.
Look Up was produced by T Bone Burnett, who wrote or co-wrote nine of the album’s track. Starr co-wrote one song with his longtime studio engineer Bruce Sugar, a duet with acclaimed country/bluegrass artist Alison Krauss titled “Thankful.” “Thankful” was released as an advance single from Look Up on Friday, November 16.
Besides Krauss, Look Up features several other guest artists, including Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Lucius, and Larkin Poe. Starr’s brother-in-law, Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, also contributed to the album.
Look Up can be pre-ordered now.
Starr’s Special Nashville Concerts
To celebrate Look Up’s release, Starr will play concerts on January 14 and 15 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Billed as Ringo Starr & Friends, the shows will feature the Beatles legend joined by a variety of special guests, including Strings, Tuttle, and Jack White.
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