Ben Schwartz joins the cast of the Beatles four-film event as legendary NY disc jockey Murray the K

TL;DR

• Ben Schwartz has joined The Beatles A Four-Film Cinematic Event, playing New York disc jockey Murray the K, according to Variety.
• Murray the K was the first DJ to welcome the band during their 1964 US visit and dubbed himself the “fifth Beatle.”
• The four films are currently shooting in the UK and are all set for theatrical release in April 2028.
• The ensemble includes Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan, and Joseph Quinn as the Fab Four.

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Ben Schwartz, best known for voicing Sonic the Hedgehog, has been cast in The Beatles A Four-Film Cinematic Event, joining the already star-studded production now shooting across the UK, according to Variety on 13 June 2026.

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Who is Murray the K and why does his role matter?

Schwartz will play New York disc jockey Murray the K the man the Beatles welcomed into their orbit during their very first trip to the United States in the 1960s.

Murray Kaufman professionally known as Murray the K was an influential New York City rock and roll impresario and disc jockey at his peak in the mid-1960s, when as the top-rated radio host in New York City, he became an early and ardent supporter and friend of The Beatles.

Murray the K dubbed himself the “fifth Beatle,” a mantle now also associated with Harry Lloyd’s portrayal of George Martin in the films.

His character bridges the band’s Liverpool roots and their explosive American breakthrough making Schwartz’s scenes likely to appear across multiple films in the event.

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A massive ensemble taking shape

The project features an ensemble cast including Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

The cast also includes Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono, Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd and Mia McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Starkey. Harry Lloyd plays the Beatles’ long-time music producer George Martin, while James Norton has been confirmed as manager Brian Epstein.

The band’s inner circle also includes David Morrissey as Paul McCartney’s father Jim McCartney, Leanne Best as John Lennon’s Aunt Mimi, Bobby Schofield as road manager Neil Aspinall, Daniel Hoffmann-Gill as roadie Mal Evans, Arthur Darvill as press officer Derek Taylor, and Adam Pally as controversial music manager Allen Klein.

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The UK angle: a British band, a British shoot, and a British director

This production is about as British as it gets. The Beatles movies are currently shooting in the UK under Sony and Mendes’ Neal Street Productions banner.

Sam Mendes — the Reading-born Oscar-winner behind American Beauty, Skyfall, and 1917 — is directing all four films simultaneously.

Sony Pictures UK previously partnered with the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts — the school co-founded by Paul McCartney — for a promotional stunt in which postcards of all four lead actors in character were hidden around the institute for students to discover.

All four films are scheduled for a UK theatrical release in April 2028. The exact date has since been confirmed as 7 April 2028, with all four films released simultaneously.

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A landmark deal behind the cameras

This marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted full life-story and music rights for a scripted feature film project.

The project also marks the first narrative feature to be granted access to The Beatles’ extensive music catalogue, including hits such as “Strawberry Fields,” “Let It Be,” “I Am the Walrus,” and “Yellow Submarine.”

Scripts are being written by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne. Mendes is producing alongside Pippa Harris, Julie Pastor, and Alexandra Derbyshire under Neal Street Productions. Sony Pictures will finance and distribute all four films worldwide.

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What’s next for Ben Schwartz?

Schwartz will reprise his role as Sonic in Sonic the Hedgehog 4, in theatres on 14 March 2027. He is also currently working on the TV adaptation of The Earliest Show for Amplify Pictures, where he will direct, write, and star. He will next be seen in the Cameron Diaz Netflix comedy Bad Day.

For a deeper look at the full ensemble, read our coverage of Joseph Quinn and the rest of the Fab Four casting, plus our earlier piece on how Sam Mendes is approaching the four-film structure.

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Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed 14 June 2026.