What do The Beatles and The Lord of Rings have in common? No, besides the Hobbits and bandmates sharing mop-like hairdos and going through quite the unforgettable journey. Both their stories will be adapted through the eyes of Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson, since his latest project will be on the iconic British band’s Let It Be album era.
With Peter Jackson's latest project, the World War I documentary They Shall Not Grow Old, he’s just announced he’ll next be working on another starring Beatles bandmates John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in the studio working on their final album Let It Be, circa 1969.
The director has his hands on over 50 hours of unreleased footage and 140 hours of audio of the band’s work on the album, long considered to the most turbulent time in their history, leading to the band's breakup in 1970. Peter Jackson told Entertainment Weekly that the documentary will be a unique experience for fans because it will showcase the band's creative process and put to rest the myths associated with this period for the band.
Past Beatles documentaries have shown Beatles footage during their concerts, movies and interviews, but Peter Jackson describes his project as the ultimate ‘fly on the wall’ experience Beatles fans have long dreamt about, along with describing the footage as “funny, uplifting and surprisingly intimate” amidst some moments of drama between the band.
The exclusive footage was shot in the studio by Michael Lindsay-Hogg 18 months before the band members went their separate ways. It’s been long characterized as a time of argument after argument between them in the midst of recording classics including “Let It Be,” “The Long and Winding Road” and “Get Back.”
The intention behind the album was to perform the song live in the studio and capture the entire band playing at once directly on tape. The album was recorded before their iconic Abbey Road cover hit shelves. Let It Be wasn’t released until a few weeks after The Beatles officially called it quits.
Peter Jackson’s documentary about the legendary British band is currently in production and does not have an official title or release date yet. The director hopes this project will give fans a different perspective of the negative association with the making of “Let It Be” as in Jackson’s words they watch “four friends make music together.”
It’s an exciting project for the Lord of the Rings director to take on and for Beatles fans to anticipate. It also comes right as Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has found incredible success with audiences and during awards season, and with the musical Rocketman, loosely-based on Elton John’s life and music, hitting theaters on May 31.
