Anna Sawai, star of FX’s award-winning historical dramaShōgun, has responded to rumors she’s attached to play Yoko Ono in a series of fourBeatlesbiopics directed by Sam Mendes. The actress told reporters at the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards following her winning outstanding performance by an actress in a drama series, “I think a rumor is just a rumor.” So we likely won’t be seeing Sawai as Ono anytime soon.
As far as what her next project might be, Sawai says she is still looking. “I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do, so I’m reading a lot of scripts. I’m also doing a lot of meetings and I just want to ensure that what I’m choosing is the right thing. So it might take time for me to find the right project, but I’m trying to be selective so that I can surprise everyone who’s going to watch it.”
Sawai’s SAG award is the latest in a string of big awards for the actress. She has already picked up an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, becoming the first Asian star to ever win in that category, as well as a Golden Globe for best actress in a TV drama.Shōgunoverallwon 18 Emmysacross a broad range of categories, including Sawai’s.
Original ‘Shōgun’ Director Has the Weirdest Complaint About the Hit FX Series
“I watched the whole thing. It’s very difficult to stick with.”
Based on James Clavell’s sprawling novel,Shōgunis set in the 17th century and follows John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), an English sailor shipwrecked in Japan. Sawai plays Toda Mariko, an intelligent, high born woman who serves as a translator between Blackthorne and Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada).
If Not Sawai, Who Could Play Yoko Ono?
Very little is known about the Beatles films, other than that each one will focus on a different member of the Fab Four. Early casting reports suggest that Paul Mescal will play Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson will play John Lennon, Joseph Quinn will play George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan will play Ringo Starr. No official casting choices have been announced as of this writing, though director Ridley Scott seemsconvinced of the Mescal rumor.
This is the first time surviving Beatles McCartney and Starr, plus the families of Lennon and Harrison, have approved full biographical rights for a film project. There have been various biopics involving The Beatles produced in the last several decades, includingBackbeatandBirth of The Beatles. There have also been a number of films about Lennon specifically, includingNowhere Boy, Lennon Naked, John and Yoko: A Love Story, andTwo of Us, which explores a fictionalized reunion of Lennon and McCartney years after The Beatles' break up.
Ono was previously played by Naoko Mori inLennon Nakedand by Kim Miyori inJohn and Yoko: A Love Story. As for who could possibly play the artist now, the talent pool is wide open, though it does depend on how much screen time Ono as a character will have. Presumably, the film focusing on Lennon will feature Ono more prominently than in the other movies, but even then, if the narrative is meant to follow the rise and fall of the band, Ono would only show up toward the end of that story, given that she met Lennon later in The Beatles' career. The as-yet untitled Beatles films are expected to hit theaters sometime in 2027.
Source:Deadline
