Anna Sawai on Playing Yoko Ono in ‘The Beatles’ Movies: ‘There’s a Version of Her I Feel People Still Don’t Understand’
While Anna Sawai has been busy conquering TV and film, the Emmy-winning “Shōgun” star first got her start in show business as a member of the J-pop band FAKY. Now, Sawai is going back to her musical roots in the role of Yoko Ono in Sam Mendes’ forthcoming “Beatles” biopics.
“It was my dream to tell her story and I didn’t think it would come this quick,” Sawai told Variety at the Los Angeles premiere of Apple TV’s “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Season 2 on Thursday night. “There’s a version of her I feel people still don’t understand. And in this film, I think we’re going to be able to tell that side of the story.”
To prepare, Sawai has been busy reading everything she can about the artist and musician. “So much reading, oh my gosh,” she said. “So many books, so many videos, so many articles…She has so much artwork that also shows her personality.”
While on set in London, Sawai teases it’s been fun to hear the cast — Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr — play the iconic band’s music. “They’re not even looking at the sheet music anymore. They can just play it off and sing it, and it really sounds like the Beatles to me. It feels surreal.”
The four biopics will release simultaneously in theaters on April 7, 2028.
In the meantime, audiences can catch Sawai as Cate Randa in “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Season 2, which premieres on Apple TV on Feb. 27. While Season 1 followed two siblings as they uncovered their family’s connection to Monarch, a secret organization dedicated to monitoring monsters, the second season picks up as the fate of the organization hangs in the balance: a new titan has arisen from the sea, endangering the world.
Sawai teases that fans will get to see Cate “find her new purpose and find meaning in the family legacy.” “Instead of running away, she’s going to start chasing,” she said.
As for what she’s most excited about, the answer is straightforward: the new monsters. “They have their own story,” said Sawai. “We’ve been able to relate with the human story, but I think maybe some people might actually relate to the monster story.”
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Season 2 also includes cast members Kiersey Clemons, Mari Yamamoto, Joe Tippett, Ren Watabe, Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anders Holm, Takehiro Hira and new addition Curtiss Cook.
See more photos from the “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Season 2 premiere below.
“It was my dream to tell her story and I didn’t think it would come this quick,” Sawai told Variety at the Los Angeles premiere of Apple TV’s “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Season 2 on Thursday night. “There’s a version of her I feel people still don’t understand. And in this film, I think we’re going to be able to tell that side of the story.”
To prepare, Sawai has been busy reading everything she can about the artist and musician. “So much reading, oh my gosh,” she said. “So many books, so many videos, so many articles…She has so much artwork that also shows her personality.”
While on set in London, Sawai teases it’s been fun to hear the cast — Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr — play the iconic band’s music. “They’re not even looking at the sheet music anymore. They can just play it off and sing it, and it really sounds like the Beatles to me. It feels surreal.”
The four biopics will release simultaneously in theaters on April 7, 2028.
In the meantime, audiences can catch Sawai as Cate Randa in “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Season 2, which premieres on Apple TV on Feb. 27. While Season 1 followed two siblings as they uncovered their family’s connection to Monarch, a secret organization dedicated to monitoring monsters, the second season picks up as the fate of the organization hangs in the balance: a new titan has arisen from the sea, endangering the world.
Sawai teases that fans will get to see Cate “find her new purpose and find meaning in the family legacy.” “Instead of running away, she’s going to start chasing,” she said.
As for what she’s most excited about, the answer is straightforward: the new monsters. “They have their own story,” said Sawai. “We’ve been able to relate with the human story, but I think maybe some people might actually relate to the monster story.”
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Season 2 also includes cast members Kiersey Clemons, Mari Yamamoto, Joe Tippett, Ren Watabe, Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anders Holm, Takehiro Hira and new addition Curtiss Cook.
See more photos from the “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Season 2 premiere below.