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An unassuming Liverpool street went back in time on Monday as director Sam Mendes prepared to shoot scenes for his new anthology of Beatles films outside the childhood home of Sir Paul McCartney.
Mendes is currently working on an ambitious collection of films about the pioneering pop group and their emergence from Liverpool's subterranean Cavern Club to become the biggest and most influential band in the world.
Having already filmed raucous scenes in central London, the director and his team have relocated to Allerton and the modest street outside 20 Forthlin Road, McCartney's home for several years before signing his first record deal with The Beatles in 1962.
Built in 1949, the address was originally bought by McCartney's father Jim in 1955. He would remain their for a decade, until his son - by now a global star - bought him a new house in Heswell, a more prosperous part of the Wirral.
The terraced home, now a National Trust property, was a hive of activity as the street was cut off by traffic cones and diversions were created for oncoming vehicles.
With black tents and vintage cars lining either side of the road, production assistants were seen wheeling period-appropriate props and clothing onto the exterior set.
A production assistant was seen carrying a replica of Sir Paul McCartney's very first guitar, the Framus Zenith (Model 17) acoustic, as Sam Mendes continued filming his Beatles film anthology in LIverpool on Monday
The director and his team have relocated to Allerton and 20 Forthlin Road, McCartney's childhood home for several years before signing his first record deal with The Beatles in 1962
Early sixties-era bicycles, boxes and bags occupied space outside the property, while a variety of musical instruments - among them a replica of McCartney's first ever guitar, the Framus Zenith (Model 17) acoustic.
The legendary musician originally purchased the German-made guitar, which he still owns, from Liverpool's Rushworth Music shop in 1956, when he was 14-years old.
Extras in period costume were also seen mingling with the crew as Mendes and his team prepared to shoot scenes outside McCartney's old home, referred to by owners The National Trust as 'the birthplace of The Beatles.'
But there was no sign of Paul Mescal, the actor charged with playing McCartney in his youth, with the Irish star having appeared at the 79th annual BAFTA Awards in London on Sunday evening.
Mescal's portrayal of William Shakespeare in director Chloé Zhao's biographical drama Hamnet earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination at this year's ceremony.
But while he lost out to One Battle After Another star Sean Penn on the night, the actor saw Hamnet named Outstanding British Film and co-star Jessie Buckley win Leading Actress for her portrayal of the great Bard's wife, Agnes Shakespeare.
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.
Extras in period costume were also seen mingling with the crew as Mendes and his team prepared to shoot scenes outside McCartney's old home
Various drums, among them a large bass drum, were seen being carried across the street by a production assistant on Monday
Early sixties-era boxes and bags occupied space outside the property, which is now owned by The National Trust
Bicycles from the same early 1960s period lined a fence alongside the various boxes and bags
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.
A cast-member, thought to be an extra, chats to members of the crew between scenes
Vintage cars were seen on the Liverpool set as cameras prepared to roll on Monday
Onlookers gathered to watch the action, with some taking photos and recording videos on their camera phones
A rail of clothes was seen being wheeled onto the exterior set by two production assistants
Black tents were erected and the street was closed, with traffic diversions created for oncoming vehicles
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.
There was no sign of Paul Mescal, the actor charged with playing McCartney in his youth, with the Irish star having appeared at the 79th annual BAFTA Awards in London on Sunday evening
Fans were recently given a first look at the four actors in character (from top left: Harris DIckinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr)
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.
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