Peter Jackson’s Beatles Documentary Get Back Gets Theatrical Release Date
Oscar-winning Lord Of The Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson has recently been working on a documentary about the Beatles’ Let It Be recording sessions. Now that film, named after the album’s #1 hit “Get Back,” has a theatrical release date. The movie hits theaters 9/4 in the US and Canada via The Walt Disney Studios.
With its focus on the Let It Be sessions, Get Back chronicles the Beatles near the end of their run. (Although Let It Be was the last album they released, it was largely recorded before Abbey Road.) Although the Let It Be era was already the subject of a 1970 documentary by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, this one features lots of previously unseen material and supposedly puts a different spin on the band’s dynamic before their breakup. A press release promises “the only notable footage of the band at work in the studio” plus all 42 minutes of the group’s legendary farewell performance on the rooftop of their Apple label office in London.
Disney CEO Bob Iger calls Get Back “a front-row seat to the inner workings of these genius creators at a seminal moment in music history, with spectacularly restored footage that looks like it was shot yesterday,” when all my troubles seemed so far away. The press release also includes quotes from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Here’s Macca: “I am really happy that Peter has delved into our archives to make a film that shows the truth about the Beatles recording together. The friendship and love between us comes over and reminds me of what a crazily beautiful time we had.” And here’s Mr. Starkey: “I’m really looking forward to this film. Peter is great and it was so cool looking at all this footage. There was hours and hours of us just laughing and playing music, not at all like the version that came out. There was a lot of joy and I think Peter will show that. I think this version will be a lot more peace and loving, like we really were.”
Jackson directed Get Back and is one of its producers alongside Clare Olssen and Jonathan Clyde, plus executive producers Ken Kamins and Jeff Jones.