Let It Be: Peter Jackson’s Directing A Beatles Documentary

Using the same restoration techniques he used on THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD.

By Jan. 30, 2019

Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old was, by all accounts, an absolutely brain-melting piece of work, a collection of WWI footage so completely restored that it ended up looking like Jackson had filmed the whole dang thing just last month. It seemed likely we'd see Jackson use his fancy new restoration technology again - the results were simply too mind-bogglingly impressive to be used in a one-off fashion - but word on the street suggested Jackson would next use them to restore a few of his earlier films, rather than on another doc.

Not quite! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson will next unleash his sorcerer-like restoration powers on over 55 hours' worth of archival footage shot during the making of The Beatles' classic 1969 album, Let It Be. The resulting product will be fashioned into a documentary offering a "fly on the wall" experience for Beatles fans (and/or people who just like seeing Ringo in the highest-definition possible). 

Says Jackson:

"After reviewing all the footage and audio that Michael Lindsay-Hogg shot 18 months before [The Beatles] broke up, it’s simply an amazing historical treasure-trove. Sure, there’s moments of drama – but none of the discord this project has long been associated with. Watching John, Paul, George, and Ringo work together, creating now-classic songs from scratch, is not only fascinating – it’s funny, uplifting and surprisingly intimate."   

Jackson's Wingnut Films is partnering up with Apple Corp. for this one. There's no release date at this time, nor any indication where we'll be able to see the doc once it's completed, but rest assured we'll keep you informed on both fronts as further updates roll in.

In the meantime: are y'all into this? Did you see They Shall Not Grow Old? Would you prefer Jackson focused his attentions on restoring, say, Meet The Feebles before taking on another doc? Do you simply not care about The Beatles, and if so, how did you become so wrong? Sound off in the comments below, and stay tuned.

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