The Beatles: Peter Jackson's new Get Back movie is now a three-part series for Disney+

21 June 2021, 11:15 | Updated: 15 January 2024, 11:08

The Beatles - Get Back
The Beatles - Get Back. Picture: The Beatles

By Mayer Nissim

Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back film becomes a six-hour mini-series that will air on November 25, 26 and 27.

Peter Jackson's long-awaited Beatles movie has now become a six-hour, three-part mini-series.

Originally slated for a 2020 cinema release, The Beatles: Get Back will now air exclusively on Disney+ on November 25, 26, and 27, 2021.

The series is made up of previously unseen restored footage originally shot for the 1970 Let It Be movie.

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That film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg had a mixed reception from critics at the time, and while it had a home video release in 1981, it has been relatively unavailable officially since then.

Announced back in 2019, Jackson's new film starts from scratch, being cut from over 60 hours of video footage and 150 hours of audio to essentially remake the film.

The Beatles: Get Back - A Sneak Peek from Peter Jackson

Jackson said: "In many respects, Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s remarkable footage captured multiple storylines. The story of friends and of individuals. 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."

Let It Be - 1s Preview

Unlike the original Let It Be, the new film is made with the "enthusiastic support" of surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and also Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison.

Its production team is made up of a wealth of talent who have either a history with Peter Jackson or Beatles.

The series is produced by Clare Olssen who (They Shall Not Grow Old) and Jonathan Clyde (Eight Days a Week), and its executive producers are Ken Kamins (The Hobbit trilogy) and Apple Corps’ Jeff Jones (Eight Days a Week).

Editing comes from Jabez Olssen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

The Beatles - Up on the Roof
The Beatles - Up on the Roof. Picture: Getty

Music mixing comes from Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin who has worked on the most-recent Beatles reissues, and Sam Okell (Yesterday).

Disney boss Bob Iger said: "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."

Read more: Paul McCartney pays sweet tribute to John Lennon with unseen photo to mark 80th birthday

The series is accompanied by a 240-page The Beatles: Get Back book, made up of transcripts of conversations and hundreds of previously-unpublished photos from the Get Back sessions. It will be released ahead of the series on October 12.

The release of The Beatles: Get Back will be followed by the long-teased re-release of a remastered version of the original Let It Be film.