The Beatles: Get Back


The Beatles: Get Back is an upcoming documentary film directed by Peter Jackson that covers the making of the Beatles' 1970 album Let It Be, which had the working title of Get Back. The film draws from material originally captured in January 1969 by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg for his 1970 documentary of the album. The Beatles: Get Back endeavours to recut Lindsay-Hogg's film to show the friendly camaraderie that still existed between the Beatles, as well as to challenge longtime assertions that the project was entirely marked by ill-feeling.

Background

The project was announced on 30 January 2019, the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles' rooftop concert. The Beatles: Get Back employs the techniques developed for Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old to transform the footage with modern production techniques. Over 55 hours of footage and 140 hours of audio stemming from the original project were made available to Jackson's team, and it will include the full 42-minute rooftop concert. In reference to the long-reported acrimony surrounding the original Get Back project, Jackson wrote in a press statement that he was "relieved to discover the reality is very different to the myth... Sure, there's moments of drama – but none of the discord this project has long been associated with."
The film was created with cooperation from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison. In a news release, McCartney said: "I am really happy that Peter has delved into our archives to make a film that shows the truth about the Beatles recording together", while Starr echoed: "There was hours and hours of us just laughing and playing music, not at all like the that came out . There was a lot of joy and I think Peter will show that."

Release

On 11 March 2020, The Walt Disney Studios announced they had acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Jackson's documentary, now titled The Beatles: Get Back. It was initially set to be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on 4 September 2020 in the United States and Canada, with a global release to follow. On 12 June 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the film was pushed back to 27 August 2021.