Paul McCartney says he texted the director after a still from the Abbey Road crossing showed his character smaller.
Paul McCartney has raised a concern about how tall he looks in the Beatles films being made by director Sam Mendes. On Good Hang with Amy Poehler, in the episode released on October 13, McCartney said that Paul Mescal, who plays him, is "smaller than the guy who's playing John."
The project is The Beatles - A Four-Film Cinematic Event. Mendes directs each installment through Neal Street Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment, and each film tells the band's story from one member's point of view. Joseph Quinn plays George Harrison, Barry Keoghan plays Ringo Starr and Harris Dickinson plays John Lennon.
The worry grew after the cast re-created the Abbey Road (1969) album cover while filming in London in August. McCartney said Mendes sent him a still from the crossing shoot, and that "the Paul character is markedly smaller." He sent Mendes a message in reply:
"Sam! Smaller! Don't do this! You said you wouldn't do it."
Mendes answered, McCartney recalled, "No, it's ok. It's just the stride." Mendes then sent another still in which Mescal and Dickinson looked equally tall.
McCartney said that he, Lennon and George Harrison were all the same height, and that Ringo was slightly smaller. IMDb lists Mescal at 5'11" and Dickinson at 6'2".
McCartney admitted he has "got a thing" about height. He pointed to Nowhere Boy, released in 2009, in which Aaron Taylor-Johnson played Lennon and Thomas Brodie-Sangster played McCartney. He said the John character is "bigger than me in the film!" He added: "There was I, little Paul. And, you know, John, the great big hero. And it's like - no! It's not true."
The four films are slated for release in 2028.
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