Mia McKenna-Bruce on Getting Her Sleuth On in ‘Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials’ and Shooting the ‘Absolutely Next Level’ Beatles Biopics: ‘I Cannot Wait for People to See This’

Such is the secrecy behind Sam Mendes’ upcoming four-part biopic about the Beatles that the actors aren’t allowed to take hard copies of the scripts beyond the set. Mia McKenna-Bruce as Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent in “Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials”Simon Ridgway/Netflix Thankfully, Mia McKenna-Bruce can reveal that what she’s seen so far is “absolutely next level.” Even a read-through with Mendes and the actors playing the Fab Four - Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn - was “really emotional, because the scripts are so beautiful.” In the hotly-anticipated films, shooting back-to-back since November 2025 and expected to carry on into late 2026, McKenna-Bruce plays Maureen Starkey, the late ex-wife of Ringo Starr (Keoghan). While she didn’t know much about her previously, she’s since learned she was “loved by all the Beatles boys” for having a big heart. “If she went into a room or party, she’d be the person that would go over to whoever was sat on their own - she wanted to make everyone felt included and was just a really good human,” she says. Starkey also “stayed out of the Beatlemania” and was happier at home. Popular on Variety There’s not much McKenna-Bruce is allowed to say about the production, but she does note that the first time she saw the four actors dressed as the Beatles with their mop top hairdos and “in all their bits and pieces” it blew her away. “I didn’t even recognize them - it was phenomenal. They’ve done it beautifully in getting it bang on for the Beatles, but still holding on to the essences of the boys themselves as well. They’re all genius,” she says. “And the boys have gone tenfold into playing these roles and know them inside out and back to front - they will question everything in the scripts to make sure it tells the right story. And Sam knows everything there is to know about the Beatles.” As McKenna-Bruce notes: “I just cannot wait for people to see this, because I really need to scream about it.” Sadly, with Sony not releasing “The Beatles - A Four-Film Cinematic Event” until April 2027, she still has more than two years to wait. But there’s still plenty else for McKenna-Bruce to scream about. This week sees the release of “Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials,” launching on Netflix Jan. 14. An energetic adaptation of the literary icon’s famed murder mystery novel, the three-part series marks McKenna-Bruce’s “first proper lead role,” fronting a pack of established actors including Helena Bonham-Carter (who she describes as “actual human gold”). Set amongst the well-heeled classes of 1920s England, “Seven Dials” sees McKenna-Bruce play Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, an witty and inquisitive lady who “fights against the grain” of the patriarchal time to investigate the tragic death of a dear friend at a lavish country house party. Adapted by “Broadchurch” creator Chris Chibnall, it has heavy Sunday evening, “Downton Abbey” (with killings) vibes - all livened up by its lead. And while...

Preview: ~500 words