A new documentary charting an important era in the career of one of the world’s most loved bands will be released this year. The documentary series, ‘The Beatles: Get Back’, will premiere on Disney+ across three days this November.
The exciting new series airing from 25th November until 27th November 2021 will be exclusive to Disney as a Disney + original documentary. The project is being directed by acclaimed director Peter Jackson with the help of members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as well as John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono Lennon and George Harrison’s widow Olivia Harrison.
The three-time Oscar-winning director has been granted very special access to make the series. The documentary’s content is extremely exclusive, Jackson has been granted access to private archives to complete his work. This allowance is very special due to Jackson being the first person in 50 years to which access has been granted. The director has spent three years watching, restoring and editing all sources available to him, this has included footage of over 60 hours which has remained unseen until now and over 150 hours of unheard audio. The footage was shot in January 1968 by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the New York-born director who not only worked with the Beatles but with their contemporaries, The Rolling Stones.
Jackson has spoken to Uncut Magazine concerning the many hours of footage made available to him, commenting on the importance in which it holds.
“In many respects, Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s remarkable footage captured multiple storylines. The story of friends and of individuals. It is the story of human frailties and of a divine partnership. It is a detailed account of the creative process, with the crafting of iconic songs under pressure, set amid the social climate of early 1969. But it’s not nostalgia – it’s raw, honest, and human. Over six hours, you’ll get to know The Beatles with an intimacy that you never thought possible. I’m very grateful to The Beatles, Apple Corps and Disney for allowing me to present this story in exactly the way it should be told. I’ve been immersed in this project for nearly three years, and I’m very excited that audiences around the world will finally be able to see it.”
The new series will be split into three episodes, each instalment will last two hours and will take viewers into the past through the lens of a music lover. The three-part series will tell the story of a significant period for the band, the story charts their struggles and triumphs as the group plan a comeback gig after a two-year hiatus from live shows. Viewers will get the chance to see the blood, sweat and tears that were poured into writing and practising their new material, which comprised of 14 new compositions. The story and footage captured was initially meant to partner with a live album but will now be transformed into a tale of music, camaraderie and passion by Jackson and his team.
The series will see Jackson team up with Apple Corps Ltd and WingNut Films Production Ltd and will be presented by The Walt Disney Studios. The series has an experienced team, comprising of members that have experience working with rock biopics. The music within the series will be mixed by Giles Martin, known for his work on the Elton John biopic ‘Rocketman’ and Sam Okell who worked on the 2019 Beatles inspired film ‘Yesterday’. Also working with Jackson includes producers Clare Olssen and Jonathan Clyde. The executive producers are Jeff Jones and Ken Kamins who has worked on ‘The Hobbit’, a film set in Jackson’s ‘Lord Of The Rings‘ universe. Also joining the crew is Jabez Olssen, working as the series’ editor.
The documentary will also feature never before seen in full performances and many loved songs as well as tracks from the group’s last albums ‘Abbey Road’ and ‘Let it Be’. Special performances shown in the documentary include the group’s last live performance together. Viewers will finally get the chance to see the band play their famed rooftop gig located on London’s Savile Row, the original gig was held on 30th January 1969. The group played a 42-minute concert before the police approached the musicians to request the volume to be turned down, little did the audience know that this would the final gig of the Beatles. It was after the group played the last song ‘Get Back’ that Lennon would deliver the infamous words “I’d like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we’ve passed the audition.”
Before the premiere of the documentary, a book will be published on 12th October 2021 entitled ‘The Beatles: Get Back’, as an accompaniment to the documentary series. The hardcover book will feature beautifully designed 240 pages, full of exclusive photos taken over three weeks, information for fans as well as transcriptions of conversations featured in the upcoming documentary. The book will no doubt become a collector’s item and will be published and printed in multiple editions in nine languages.
Click here to pre-order a copy of the book.
