House of Guinness star eyed for key role in project about British music legends
A major star from one of Netflix’s biggest new hits of 2025 may have just found his next project
House of Guinness star James Norton is reportedly being eyed to portray Beatles manager Brian Epstein in Sam Mendes’ upcoming four-part film.
The upcoming biopic will star Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon.
It’s set for release in April 2028, with each film telling the story of one of the four members of the biggest band in British history.
Norton would be likely to feature in each film in the series given Epstein’s influential role in shaping the band’s music and image.
He first met the Fab Four at the Cavern Club in Liverpool at the very start of their careers in 1961.
Despite having no experience with management, he put them under contract and eventually secured a deal with EMI’s Parlophone label.
Sadly, he died just six years later at the age of 32 from a combined overdose of alcohol and barbiturate, which was ruled as accidental.
Mendes is directing the four pictures from scripts by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne, though it’s currently unknown who is penning which instalment.
It’s also not clear if all four films will be released on the same day in April 2028 or have their premieres staggered throughout the month.
Norton first came to attention with his breakout role as Tommy Lee Royce in the acclaimed BBC crime drama Happy Valley.
He has most recently been seen as brewery foreman Sean Rafferty in Netflix’s hit historical drama House of Guinness and is currently in production with his role as Ormund Hightower in the third season of House of the Dragon.
Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.
This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like House of Guinness.
Elsewhere, he has appeared in the ITV drama Playing Nice and the BBC’s historical epic King & Conqueror, which both aired this year.
Norton’s reported casting as the Beatles’ manager arrives shortly after reports that actresses have been lined up to portray the band members’ partners.
Saoirse Ronan has been cast as McCartney’s first wife Linda, while Mia McKenna-Bruce will portray Starr’s wife Maureen Starkey.
Variety has since reported that Shogun’s Anna Sawai and The White Lotus’ Aimee Lou Wood are circling the roles of Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono and Harrison’s first wife Pattie Boyd, respectively.
House of Guinness is available to stream on Netflix.