It's the second time in a couple of weeks we've had seemingly accidental confirmation of major casting news for the upcoming biopics.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Ringo Starr appeared to let slip that Saltburn star Barry Keoghan was set to play him in Sam Mendes's upcoming quadrilogy of Beatles films.
Well, now we seem to have another rather unofficial casting confirmation, with Ridley Scott revealing that Paul Mescal – who has been heavily linked with the role of Paul McCartney – will be appearing in the films.
The veteran director made the comments during a conversation with Christopher Nolan, when he was asked about the possibility of reuniting with Gladiator 2 star Mescal for his next film, The Dog Stars.
Scott initially revealed that he would be, before clarifying: "Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go."
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
This is the best indication yet that Mescal will indeed be playing McCartney, as has been widely speculated in recent weeks.
The Normal People and Aftersun star was previously asked about the possibility by Entertainment Tonight last month, and said that "it would be an incredible story to be attached to".
He added: "The fact that Sam Mendes is attached to direct, like, truly, it would be a dream come true."
Towards the end of November, Starr said he'd heard Keoghan was "somewhere taking drum lessons", and so it looks like we can be fairly certain about the identities of two of the Fab Four in the series of films.
Meanwhile, Harris Dickinson has emerged as the frontrunner for the role of John Lennon, and was recently asked about the possibility during an interview with Dazed.
His non-committal answer – "There’s nothing I can say about that; it might not be true, it might be, I don’t know... there’s a speculation culture" – did little to dispel those rumours.
Recent reports have also indicated that Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn will be taking on the role of George Harrison, but there has been nothing approaching confirmation so far.
The landmark biopics were first announced in February, with each of the four films intriguingly set to take place from the perspective of each individual member of the band.
At the time, Skyfall and Spectre director Mendes said in a statement: "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."
The Beatles films will be released in 2027.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
Win a trip for four people to see The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical plus overnight stay at The Clermont Victoria
With our top four equity release facts you will have a better idea of what’s really on offer and whether it could be right for you.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.