The BBC has confirmed the cast for its new Beatles drama, Hamburg Days, which will chronicle the band's early evolution in 1960s Hamburg. The series is inspired by the autobiography of German artist Klaus Voormann.
Main Cast Announcements
Rhys Mannion, known for It Is In Us All, has been cast as John Lennon. Ellis Murphy will portray Sir Paul McCartney, while Harvey Brett takes on the role of George Harrison. Louis Landau, from Rivals, plays Stu Sutcliffe, and Patrick Gilmore joins as Pete Best. Both Sutcliffe and Best served as drummers for the iconic group before Sir Ringo Starr joined in 1962.
Voormann, who serves as exclusive consultant on the project, is portrayed by Casper von Bülow. The cast also includes Luna Jordan and Laura Tonke as Astrid and Nielsa Kirchherr.
Series Overview
The BBC teased: 'Hamburg Days is set in the 1960s, in the smoke-filled clubs of Hamburg’s St. Pauli red-light district, where an inexperienced young rock ‘n’ roll band from Liverpool collide with two young artists, Klaus Voormann and Astrid Kirchherr. Together they help spark a transformation that turns a scrappy group of teenagers into the greatest music phenomenon the world has ever known: The Beatles.'
Sue Deeks, Head of Scripted Pre-buy Acquisitions at the BBC, previously promised an 'amazing soundtrack' for the six-part drama, which will explore The Beatles' formative years. She said: 'Hamburg Days is the fascinating story of how, in the space of two short years, a raw young band from Liverpool honed their music skills in Hamburg, before returning home to become an overnight worldwide success. It is an incredible story, accompanied (of course) by an amazing soundtrack!'
Creative Team
The series is being developed by Benjamin Benedict, best known for Generation War. It is written by Succession scribe Jamie Carragher. The Crown's Christian Schwochow is on board as director alongside Call My Agent Berlin's Laura Lackmann. Meanwhile, BAFTA-winning producer David Holmes, known for his work on Killing Eve and the Ocean's franchise, has curated the music.
Comparison with Sam Mendes' Biopic
The BBC drama is set to go head-to-head with Sam Mendes' Hollywood biopic, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, which was announced in April 2025 and is slated for release in 2028. Mendes' project features Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. The actresses playing the Fab Four's wives include Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd, Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono, and Mia McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Cox.
