A four-part biopic of the Beatles, directed by Sam Mendes and titled The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, has claimed some of our favorite young actors from across the pond. Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn, Paul Mescal, and Barry Keoghan are set to portray John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, respectively. (Each Beatle will get their own movie.) Since filming began in November, each member of the main cast has been spotted rocking some version of the Liverpool quartet’s signature mop-top, but one hair transformation has been making extra noise: Barry Keoghan’s.
When the Irish actor stepped onto the red carpet this week for the premiere of his new thriller Crime 101, he did so dressed in head-to-toe leather—courtesy of MAINS, the London-based brand owned by the rapper Skepta—and with a monster of a mop on top of his head. It’s a stark contrast to the more subtle fringed crop Keoghan rocked last March, when the film series was announced at CinemaCon. The 33-year-old Saltburn star’s mane has grown so densely that even his typically piercing baby blues are struggling to make themselves known through his newly thicketed tendrils.
If we consider the Beatles at the peak of their suited-up, Beatlemania era, they are quite hard to tell apart. Ironically, the very feature that makes each member seem like a duplicate of another—coordinating mop-top ‘dos—is where, some may argue, their individuality shines. John possessed those macho sideburns; George a devilish unibrow and pin-straight fringe; Paul charmed with side-swept bangs and arched brows; and Ringo's overgrown mop stood out for its luscious density, which Keoghan seems to have down pat. (He's also channeled Ringo via some pretty great jackets.)
While the film’s premiere date is still over two years away (April 2028, according to Variety), the follicular commitment thus far is impressive. We can only hope to witness the emergence of some incredibly floppy staches and shagadelic sideburns by the time we get to the band’s Sgt. Pepper's era.