- Anna Sawai is rumored to be in the running to play Yoko Ono
- Four Beatles films are planned, each one will focus on a specific member
- Sawai has appeared in some hugely successful shows
There is great anticipation for the upcoming Beatles biopic films, and it is rumored that Anna Sawai could be playing one of the most crucial roles – that of Yoko Ono.
In 2024, director Sam Mendes announced plans to direct four Beatles biopics, each one will tell the story of the band’s career through one member’s eyes.
Since then, speculation has been rife about who will play the Fab Four, with many names linked. You can read more about that here.
But outside of the core four members, one of the most important roles will be of Yoko Ono. Ono married John Lennon and had a big impact on the dynamic of the band in their later years.
With this in mind, the casting will be crucial and rising star Anna Sawai is a name heavily linked with the role.
Who is Anna Sawai
Sawai is probably best known for her role in FX series Shogun, where she played the female lead, Lady Mariko. Her performance in the role garnered much critical acclaim, and she also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for it. In winning the award, she became this first actress of Asian descent to win in that category.
However, Sawai has been involved in showbusiness since she was a girl, and has been a rising star for some years.
Early life
While Sawai was born in New Zealand, she moved around a lot as a child due to her father’s job, before the family settled in Japan when she was 10.
Sawai’s first role came at age 11 in a stage production of Annie where she played the titular character. The production was simulcast on Nippon TV.
After this, she appeared in various TV dramas and movies – such as Ninja Assassin in 2009. But during this time she was also having singing lessons and in 2012 joined girl group ARA. When ARA split a year later, Sawai joined another girl group Faky. Sawai was a member of Faky for five years, when she left to concentrate on her acting career.
Acting breakthrough
Sawai’s acting career then took off quickly. In 2019 she had a starring role in British crime series Giri/Haji as Eiko, the daughter of a Yakuza boss.
She then took a role Elle in F9, the ninth movie in the Fast & Furious franchise, which came out in May 2021 having been delayed by the pandemic.
In 2022, Apple TV+’s series Pachinko came out, with Sawai playing the main role of Naomi. Also on Apple TV+ she has starred as Cate in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, a spin off from the movie Godzilla.
No roles have yet been confirmed for the Beatles biopics, but Sawai has been heavily linked by noted industry insider Jeff Sneider of The Insneider. Confirmation – or otherwise – should follow later in the year when the first of the movies is set to commence filming.
