Anna Sawai is stepping into one of the most misunderstood roles in pop culture history — and she’s doing it with reverence.
The 33-year-old actor will portray Yoko Ono in the upcoming quartet of Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes. Each film will be told from the perspective of a different bandmate, with all four slated for release on the same day in April 2028.
Speaking to People at the season 2 premiere of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters in Los Angeles on Feb. 19, Sawai shared what draws her to Ono — an artist long vilified in Beatles lore, yet rarely understood on her own terms.
“It’s just exciting because [Ono’s] story is so inspirational to me, and people really don’t know the true person that she was,” she said.
For Sawai, the role is more than a casting coup. It’s a chance to reframe the narrative around a woman who was often reduced to a footnote in someone else’s story.
“She’s an incredible artist. And also, she just was an independent woman and people didn’t like that. They wanted John [Lennon] for themselves and she was an easy target. And I think it’s very meaningful for me to be able to tell her story,” she added.
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Ono — a boundary-pushing multimedia artist long before and long after her relationship with John Lennon — has remained a lightning rod in conversations about fame, feminism, and blame. Sawai’s portrayal arrives at a moment when cultural retrospectives are increasingly reassessing the women history sidelined.
Asked what she’s grown to love most about Ono, Sawai didn’t hesitate.
“Just how bold she is,” Sawai said, adding, “Oh my God, I love her. She’s so cool.”
The role marks another milestone in a meteoric few years for the New Zealand–born, Japan-raised actor. After earning both an Emmy in 2024 and a Golden Globe in 2025 for her performance as Lady Mariko in Shōgun, Sawai has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most compelling cross-cultural stars.
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Titled The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, the ambitious project is produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Neal Street Productions, and Apple Corps. All four films will debut simultaneously on April 7, 2028, each unfolding from the perspective of one member: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
The ensemble cast includes Harris Dickinson as Lennon, Paul Mescal as McCartney, Joseph Quinn as Harrison, Barry Keoghan as Starr, and Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney.
“It feels like a dream. It’s everything that I wanted to do and I get to tell the stories that are so meaningful to me,” she said.
That sense of gratitude is sharpened by perspective.
“When I look back to a couple years ago, I was auditioning and just taking on the roles that I would get offered after auditioning. But now I have choices that I can make, and so I feel very, very lucky,” she explained.
