THE BEATLES IN THE BEATLES: GET BACK. PHOTO BY LINDA McCARTNEY
UPDATED 6/12/20
It's no doubt been a long and winding road for fans, but the wait for the much-anticipated Peter Jackson film on the making of The Beatles' Let It Be album is almost over. Jackson has combed through more than fifty hours of film and 140 hours of audio recordings to create his reworked documentary. The result will be called The Beatles: Get Back and is set to be released in theaters nationwide on August 27, 2021 September 4, 2020 through a distribution deal with Disney. The feature boasts a wealth of never-before-seen footage and the complete rooftop concert - all meticulously restored by Jackson and his team.
While director Michael Lindsay-Hogg's original 1970 film has rightly been considered a bit of a downer, the new documentary will present more of the picture, showcasing "the warmth, camaraderie, and humor" of those sessions. The original reels make up "the only notable footage of the band at work in the studio, capturing John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr as they create their now-classic songs from scratch, laughing, bantering and playing to the camera." And with film restoration work by Park Road Post Production of Wellington, New Zealand, and music mixed by Giles Martin and Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios in London, the film is sure to delight fans.
"Working on this project has been a joyous discovery," Peter Jackson says in a statement. "I've been privileged to be a fly on the wall while the greatest band of all time works, plays and creates masterpieces. I'm thrilled that Disney have stepped up as our distributor. There's no one better to have our movie seen by the greatest number of people."
Meanwhile, a fully restored version of the original 1970 Let It Be film has been promised at a later date. Meanwhile, Callaway Arts & Entertainment will publish a fully authorized The Beatles: Get Back book in October. Hopefully, a 50th anniversary box set of the album won't be too far down the road! As always, we'll keep you up-to-date with any developments!
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I am excited for both films. I have never seen the original Let It Be movie. Something to look forward to in these scary times we are in right now.
Its a shame that this couldn't be released now to a streaming service like Netflix. It would bring tremendous joy to millions while social distancing.
May not be what you wanted, or meant, but I am sure this will be on Disney + sometimes next year. Doubtful this goes to Netflix, given The Mouse is distributing it.
Fab
I remember seeing "Let it Be" in a theater in 1971 as the end of a quadruple feature of the four Beatles films. I don't remember the downer parts much, I guess, but I do remember the music, and how different the album sounded from the studio work in the film. I am looking forward to the new "mix" of the film, as well as seeing a restored version of the original.
If I survive this virus thingy.
Apparently no mention of a DVD release at some point, or a CD box set of any of the new material included. Hope it becomes available for collectors.