Paul Mescal shields Sir Paul McCartney from the rain as he is seen with Beatles legend for the first time while filming new documentary - after being cast to play him in film anthology

Paul Mescal may well have been taking notes on Friday after joining Sir Paul McCartney for a full English at one of London's best known cafes. 

The Irish actor has been drafted in to play McCartney in an ambitious four film anthology about The Beatles and their rise from Liverpool's subterranean Cavern Club to become the biggest and most influential band in the world. 

And with principal photography well underway, Mescal, 30, had an opportunity to meet the man in person at Westminster's Regency Cafe, famed for offering the best full English breakfast and a popular filming location courtesy of its art deco interior. 

Dressed in a denim jacket and jeans, the Irish star looked mildly starstruck while exchanging words with the legendary musician on the street after filming scenes - thought to be for an accompanying documentary - inside the Regency. 

McCartney, 83, appeared to be in high spirits while idling alongside Mescal, and little wonder, with the Irish actor on hand to hold an umbrella above his head as it started to rain. 

The actor was last seen playing McCartney on location in Liverpool, with director Sam Mendes and his crew shooting scenes close to the musician's childhood home - now owned by the National Trust. 

Mescal was seen enthusiastically riding a vintage bicycle along a leafy suburban street in McCartney's home town after rejoining the crew on location following his appearance at the 79th annual BAFTA Awards.

In a recent interview with Backstage, the actor - whose casting as McCartney has divided fans - shared his admiration for the era-defining musician. 

'I get to play somebody I've always admired,' he said. 'As each day goes by, I just think he's like - you can count on one hand how many people have influenced the world as much as he has.' 

Mescal will star alongside Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr in four new films about The Beatles.

A strong supporting cast includes Aimee Lou Wood as Harrison's model wife Pattie Boyd, Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono and James Norton as the band's manager, Brian Epstein.

There will also be appearances from Mia McKenna-Bruce as Starr's first wife, Maureen Starkey, and Harry Lloyd as George Martin, the record producer with whom The Beatles worked on all of their eleven studio albums.

The Daily Mail previously revealed that the Beatles biopics will also be filmed at London's iconic Abbey Road Studios, with production getting underway in November last year despite earlier reports that plans had been blocked.

While it was claimed that Westminster Council would not allow filming at the famous zebra crossing, the council has since confirmed to the Daily Mail that production will be going ahead.

Mendes had wanted to recreate the Beatles' 1969 album cover on the crossing.

Westminster Council told the Daily Mail that they are, in fact, working closely with production teams to facilitate filming, which will involve closing the road.

Speaking at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas last April, an event the cast also attended, Mendes described the films as the 'first binge-able theatrical experience'.

The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd and The Beatles – Sir Paul, Sir Ringo, and the families of Lennon and Harrison – have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.

Starr previously hinted that Saltburn star Keoghan had taken on the role.

He told Entertainment Tonight: 'I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.'

When Sir Ridley Scott was promoting his second Roman epic Gladiator II, he revealed leading man Mescal was joining the Beatles project, telling an industry event that the actor was 'actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next' so he may not be able to join him on his next film.

Keoghan recently admitted that he wasn't able to look Beatles legend Ringo in the eye during their first meeting because he was overcome with nerves.

While the actor described their meeting as 'lovely', he told Jimmy Kimmel Live that he was so starstruck he struggled to make eye contact with the drummer.

He recalled: 'I met him at his house, and he played the drums for me. He asked me to play, but I wasn't playing the drums for Ringo.'

Asked if he was able to 'study' the musician, he added: 'I was. And when I was talking to him, I couldn't look at him. I was nervous, like right now. But he's like, "You can look at me."'

Titled The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event, the project was announced last year.

The movies will each take the perspective of one member of The Beatles as they evolve from unknowns in Liverpool in the early 1960s to becoming the biggest band in the world and then breaking up in 1970.

It’s the first time that surviving Beatles McCartney and Starr, and the families of the late Lennon and Harrison, have given the rights to feature films about them.

All four films are to be released simultaneously on April 7, 2028.