By Daniel Kreps. Director Peter Jackson’s six-hour, fully restored deep-dive into the Let It Be sessions features band’s entire rooftop concert for first time.
The Beatles: Get Back, director Peter Jackson’s long-in-the-works restoration and recutting of footage culled from the band’s Let It Be sessions, is set to arrive as a three-part Disney+ docuseries this Thanksgiving.
Rolling out in three two-hour installments on November 25th, 26th, and 27th, The Beatles: Get Back utilizes over 60 hours of unseen film footage from January 1969 — shot by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg for the original Let It Be film — and 150 hours of unheard audio, as well as — for the first time ever — the Beatles’ complete rooftop concert from atop London’s Savile Row. Paul McCartney previously shared a five-minute clip from Get Back in December.
“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,” Jackson said in a statement. “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.”
All of the docuseries’ footage — which captures the band amid their breakup — has been restored using the same technique that Jackson employed for his World War I documentary They Shall Not Grow Old. Jackson also discussed the creation of the docuseries and how no footage is repeated between the original film and Get Back in a new interview with Vanity Fair.
Jackson added, “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.”
Disney chairman Robert Iger added, “As a huge Beatles fan myself, I am absolutely thrilled that Disney+ will be the home for this extraordinary documentary series by the legendary filmmaker Peter Jackson. This phenomenal collection of never-before-seen footage offers an unprecedented look at the close camaraderie, genius songwriting, and indelible impact of one of the most iconic and culturally influential bands of all time, and we can’t wait to share The Beatles: Get Back with fans around the world
Additionally, the Beatles’ Apple Corps will release a companion The Beatles: Get Back book on October 12th, a 240-page hardcover that complements the documentary with transcriptions of the Beatles’ recorded conversations and hundreds of exclusive, unseen photos from the three weeks of sessions.
Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-beatles-get-back-docuseries-thanksgiving-release-disney-plus-1185633/