Two of British cinema’s greats have been busy for a while on a secret(ish) film set for release this summer, that until now has gone by the catchy title ‘Untitled Richard Curtis/Danny Boyle Comedy’. It’s now dropped that unwieldy, avante-garde moniker in favour of an actual name, which confirms its Beatles-centric premise – the project is officially called Yesterday, and it has a new trailer and poster.
The film stars Himesh Patel as Jack Malick, an aspiring singer-songwriter who’s hit by a car – and then wakes up in a world where nobody else remembers the music of The Beatles. Using John, Paul, George and Ringo’s greatest hits to his advantage, he becomes an instant star – but his fame threatens to drive a wedge between him and his friend (or, perhaps more-than-friend) Ellie, played by Lily James. Boyle directed the film, from a screenplay by Curtis – the writer's first cinematic screenplay since 2014’s Trash, and his first rom-com since About Time.
Two posters for the film have also arrived, the first playing on the group's more psychedelic Sgt. Pepper's and Magical Mystery Tour era:
The second poster is styled after the iconic cover for Abbey Road, the final studio album The Beatles recorded:
As you’d come to expect from Curtis, this looks to have brilliantly witty gags and a big, soft, uncynical heart – plus, it's nice to see a softer side of Boyle, who's often found in the darker end of the cinematic spectrum. Throw in a bunch of Beatles classics, and the stage is set for a potentially huge hit. Yesterday will arrive in UK cinemas on 28 June.
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