Peter Jackson’s upcoming documentary series, The Beatles: Get Back, is hitting Disney+ just in time for the holidays. The Lord of the Rings director spent three years editing and restoring more than 50 hours of never-before-seen footage and 140 hours of audio that will make up three separate episodes coming in at about two hours in length that will roll out over three days — November 25, 26 and 27 — exclusively on Disney+.
Jackson’s experience restoring footage for his World War I documentary They Shall Not Grow Old came in handy as the director pieced through the wealth of footage originally shot by Michael Lindsay-Hogg for the Let It Be film chronicling the hit band’s final album together for a documentary that was never released. Jackson’s take on the project was originally announced on Jan. 30 2019, the 50th anniversary of the infamous rooftop concert which served as the band’s final live performance and was undertaken with the full support of the band’s two surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. The widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, were also behind Jackson’s take on the documentary.
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While the original Let It Be documentary was a somber tone, focusing on the band’s breakup, Jackson’s take on the story has more moments of levity, the director said in a statement, as per Variety. “In many respects, Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s remarkable footage captured multiple storylines. The story of friends and of individuals,” he said. “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.”
Get Back was originally scheduled to be released in September 2020, before being delayed to this September amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and then being brought on board as a Disney+ series premiering in November. “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,” said Bob Iger, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, The Walt Disney Company, as per Variety. “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.”
