Honestly, it is a weird time to be a Beatles fan. We are currently living through a massive "Macca-naissance" that most of us didn't see coming. If you’ve been paying attention lately, you know the buzz isn't just about old vinyl reissues or another AI-assisted "final" song. It's about the screen. Specifically, the flood of movies about Paul McCartney that are finally trying to figure out how one human being actually managed to be that famous for sixty years without losing his mind.
The big news right now is Man on the Run. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, it’s everywhere. Directed by Morgan Neville—the guy who did the incredible Mr. Rogers doc—this thing is basically the definitive "What happened after the breakup?" story. It’s set to hit Prime Video on February 27, 2026. I’ve seen some of the early footage from the festival circuit, and it’s heavy. It’s not just "Hey Jude" singalongs; it’s Paul in 1970, hiding out in Scotland, unshaven, depressed, and genuinely wondering if he’d ever write another note.
The Documentary That Actually Changed the Narrative
For a long time, the "Paul" movie was just Let It Be (1970). And let’s be real, that movie sucked for Paul's reputation. It made him look like a bossy, nagging schoolteacher while George sulked and John checked out.
Then Peter Jackson happened.
The Beatles: Get Back (2021) wasn't just a documentary; it was a 468-minute piece of evidence that vindicated Paul. You see him literally "summon" the song Get Back out of thin air while waiting for a late John Lennon. If you’re looking for movies about Paul McCartney that show the actual labor of genius, this is the one. You see the calluses. You see the sheer willpower it took to keep that band from imploding three weeks earlier than it did. Paul himself has said in recent interviews that watching Jackson’s edit "saved his life" because it proved they actually had fun, despite what the history books claimed for fifty years.
Why McCartney 3,2,1 is Essential (Even if it’s "Just" a Chat)
If Get Back is the "how," then McCartney 3,2,1 is the "why."
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Technically it’s a miniseries, but most fans treat it like one long, black-and-white cinematic deep dive. Sitting across from Rick Rubin, Paul is more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him. Usually, Paul McCartney does "interviews" where he tells the same five stories he’s told since 1964. You know the ones: the dream about "Yesterday," the meeting on the bus with George.
But Rubin gets him to talk about the bass.
There’s this incredible moment where they isolate the bass track for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Paul looks surprised, like he’s hearing a stranger play. It’s a rare look at the musician, not the celebrity. It’s easily one of the most vital pieces of film ever made about him because it strips away the "Sir Paul" knight-of-the-realm stuff and just focuses on the guy who invented modern melodic bass playing.
The Biopic Wave: Paul Mescal and the 2027 Explosion
Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room. The Sam Mendes project.
This is unprecedented. We aren't just getting one movie; we are getting four. One for each Beatle. They are filming them right now, and the casting for Paul is... interesting. Paul Mescal. Yeah, the Gladiator II and Normal People guy.
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There was a lot of internet shouting when this was announced. "He doesn't look like Paul!" "He’s too brooding!" But if you think about it, Mescal is perfect for the 1960s version of McCartney. Paul wasn't just the "cute" one; he was the one with the most restless, frantic energy. He was the one staying up all night in London art galleries while the others were living in the suburbs.
The "Paul movie" in this tetralogy is rumored to focus heavily on his relationship with Jane Asher and his role as the band's "PR director" during the psychedelic years. It’s slated for 2027, but the hype is already distorting the market.
Don't Overlook the "Side" Movies
Sometimes the best movies about Paul McCartney aren't actually about him as the lead. Look at Midas Man (2024/2025). It’s technically a Brian Epstein biopic, but the portrayal of Paul by Blake Richardson is surprisingly spot-on. It captures that specific Liverpool swagger—the "soft on the outside, steel on the inside" vibe that defines him.
And then there’s the weird stuff.
- Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984): Look, it’s a mess. Paul wrote it, starred in it, and it’s basically a fever dream of 80s music videos tied together by a plot about a missing master tape. But if you want to see Paul at his most "unfiltered," it’s a fascinating train wreck.
- The Love We Make (2011): A grainy, black-and-white doc following Paul through New York right after 9/11. It’s raw. No makeup, no script. Just a guy trying to use his fame to do something decent.
What Really Happened With the "Wings" Era on Film?
The upcoming Man on the Run is finally going to address the "Wings" years properly. For decades, Wings was treated like a joke by critics. They called it "muzak." They made fun of Linda.
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But the film uses a massive archive of Paul and Linda’s private home movies that have never been seen. It shows the sheer guts it took to go from playing stadiums with The Beatles to driving a van around UK universities, asking if they could play for 50p at the door. Imagine being the most famous person on earth and literally starting over because you're bored.
The movie also dives into the 1980 Tokyo drug bust. We’ve all heard the story, but seeing the archival footage of Paul being led out of the airport—knowing his career could have been permanently over right then—adds a layer of tension that usually gets glossed over in the "official" biographies.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you want to get ahead of the 2026/2027 hype cycle, don't just wait for the new releases. Start here:
- Watch "The Beatles: Get Back" again. But this time, ignore the dialogue. Just watch Paul’s eyes when he’s looking at John. It tells you everything about why the solo movies are going to be so emotionally charged.
- Mark February 27, 2026, on your calendar. Man on the Run is the first time we’re getting the "vulnerable" Paul. It’s the essential prologue to the Sam Mendes biopics.
- Track the "Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run" book release. It’s the companion piece to the new doc and contains the "oral history" that the film scripts are being built on.
The reality is that movies about Paul McCartney are finally moving past the caricature. We’re finally getting to see the man who was too successful for his own good, trying to outrun his own shadow. It’s about time.