The Beatles have announced a new film project using never-released footage

30 January 2019, 14:47 | Updated: 15 January 2024, 10:52

The Beatles and John Lennon's partner, Yoko Ono, in the recording studio
The Beatles and John Lennon's partner, Yoko Ono, in the recording studio. Picture: The Beatles

The Beatles and Sir Peter Jackson will collaborate on a new film using footage from the studio sessions of their 1969 album 'Let It Be'.

The Beatles have announced that they are embarking upon a new film project using never-before-seen footage of the band.

The new film will use 55 hours of footage from the band's studio recording session for their Grammy Award-winning album Let It Be (1969).

The band took to twitter to share the news:

Director Sir Peter Jackson has confirmed his involvement with the project. He said: "I’m thrilled and honoured to have been entrusted with this remarkable footage - making the movie will be a sheer joy.

"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.”

The project was originally intended to be a TV special, but the extended footage paved the way to a completely different project, a film.

The film's climax will be The Beatles' iconic performance on the rooftop of Apple's London office on Savile Row. This performance, which took place exactly 50 years ago today, was the band's last public appearance as a group. They officially split just over a year later.

The Beatles perform on the rooftop of Apple's London office on Savile Row
The Beatles perform on the rooftop of Apple's London office on Savile Row. Picture: Getty Images