A new biopic about the Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, titled Midas Man, is currently in the works, and Jay Leno has been enlisted to portray Ed Sullivan, the host of the Ed Sullivan Show. This marks Leno's first feature role in a movie where he will be playing a character other than himself since 1994 when he played the host for Bedrock's Most Wanted in The Flinstones.
Leno has only provided voiceovers or portrayed himself in films since the 1990s, with his upcoming role to see him take on a character for the first time in almost 30 years.
The Ed Sullivan Show helped to launch the Beatles, proving to be an integral part of their career. The band made several appearances on the show and took to Sullivan's stage three times in February 1964. The Ed Sullivan Show brought the band to the United States and helped to amplify Beatlemania.
The film had recently been shut down mid-shoot while the director, Jonas Akerlund, is taking a break from the film. According to a statement obtained by Deadline, "The director of Midas Man, Jonas Akerlund is taking a break from the film. Until some matters become clearer, we are not able to add any further comment to this statement. In the meantime, we can confirm that filming of Midas Man will continue in London in November before breaking for Christmas. Filming will restart in early January in Los Angeles."
Midas Man follows the Beatles manager, Brian Epstein as he joined the Liverpool band while they shot to fame. Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, known for his role in The Queen's Gambit, will be portraying Epstein.
With a Brian Epstein biopic in the works, another documentary about the band is currently in the works. The Beatles: Get Back has received praise from the band's surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. The upcoming documentary returns to the band's final record, Let It Be. Another documentary utilizing much of the same footage from those studio sessions had been released in 1970, however, the Beatles stated they were unhappy with the project as it took an angle that highlighted their breakup.