Ron Howard to direct the first official Beatles documentary in 45 years

Attention, baby boomers and music lovers of all stripes: Ron Howard will direct the first official Beatles documentary in 45 years, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film will focus on the band's evolution as a live act, from their early club performances to their final show in San Francisco in 1966 (three years later, the band would play a now-famous surprise show on the roof of their record label's building).

The documentary, which has the full support of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison, is the first official film to chronicle the Fab Four since the release of Let It Be in 1970.

"What's so intriguing to me is not only the subject, but the context we can bring to it now," Howard told The Hollywood Reporter. "Not only can we do a study of these touring years, the narrative of an odyssey, we can look at the significance of the Beatles as individuals — as musical geniuses, as societal leaders, and their effect on global culture."

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While a release date has not yet been set, Howard says he hopes the film will hit theaters by late 2015. If you're already craving a Beatles fix, check out Martin Scorsese's wonderful 2011 documentary on George Harrison, which is streaming on HBO Go.