Peter Jackson is directing a Beatles documentary

Peter Jackson.
(Image credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

A legendary filmmaker and a legendary rock band are about to come together in a new documentary.

Peter Jackson is set to direct a documentary about The Beatles, which will make use of 55 hours of previously-unseen footage from 1969 studio sessions, The New York Times reports. This footage was all originally shot for the 1970 movie Let It Be, writes Variety.

Jackson teased the film as the "ultimate 'fly on the wall' experience that Beatles fans have long dreamt about," saying it's like getting to "sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together."

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The Lord of the Rings filmmaker just recently directed the documentary They Shall Not Grow Old, for which actual footage from World War I was restored and colorized so as to bring it to life for a modern audience. Similar techniques will be used for this film in order to restore the 1969 footage, the Times reports.

No release date has been set for the film, which doesn't yet have a title, but Variety reports it's likely to be released in 2020 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Let It Be. Apple Records also says that the original 1970 film, which is not currently available for purchase, will be re-released sometime after Jackson's movie.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.