EXCLUSIVE: It’s been a long and winding road but Beatles manager movie Midas Man has finally reached post-production having recently taken on a third director to get it over the line.
UK director Joe Stephenson (Doctor Jekyll) quietly took the reins earlier this year from previous filmmaker Sara Sugarman (Vinyl) who left after what sources described to us as creative differences and scheduling issues.
Sugarman herself took over in late 2021 from filmmaker Jonas Åkerlund (Polar) who also left during shoot after not seeing eye to eye with producers.
The Queen’s Gambit actor Jacob Fortune-Lloyd stars in the biopic as The Beatles manager Brian Epstein. Also starring are Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan, Lukas Gage, Bill Milner, Rosie Day as Cilla Black and Jay Leno as Ed Sullivan.
Portraying the Fab Four are newcomers Jonah Lees as John Lennon, musician Blake Richardson as Paul McCartney, Leo Harvey Elledge as George Harrison, and Campbell Wallace as drummer Ringo Starr.
Following Åkerlund’s exit it took the production a while to get back on its feet as Sugarman got up to speed and there was a planned hiatus over Christmas 2021. But the project was delayed again by previous shooting commitments for lead actor Fortune-Lloyd and producers had to raise more money to make up for lost time. Multiple sources working on the movie complained to us about a lack of funding during production.
As is often the case on independent films, it hasn’t been plain sailing, but the movie is now in the can and there is bullishness from the producers about the project, its performances, new director and fall festival prospects.
Midas Man (pictured above) charts Epstein’s role in the cultural revolution and creative explosion of the 1960s and his sizeable yet often-unheralded influence on pop music. He was the Beatles’ manager from 1962 until his untimely death in 1967 at age 32. He also managed British Invasion acts Gerry and the Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.
Pic is being produced by StudioPOW and Trevor Beattie Films. It has been sold to a raft of distributors by Mister Smith Entertainment.
Producer Perry Trevers told us today: “Unfortunately the delays to principal photography starting meant that changes to key members of our team were inevitable. In the process we were delighted to be able to secure the services of Joe Stephenson who is someone we have watched from afar for some time. With principal photography now being finished we are incredibly happy at what has been shot and look forward with excitement at being able to share it with the world.”
Stephenson added: “When I was approached to take the helm of Midas Man, I didn’t have to think twice. The last twelve weeks have been an epic journey and I can’t thank my cast and crew enough. The Brian Epstein story has needed to be told for years and I’m honoured to finally bring it to the big screen.“
Sugarman declined to comment.
