Restored Original 'Let It Be' Film to be released on Disney+ on May 8th, 2024...

[JohnS]

No doubt you are aware that Peter Jackson, the director who brought us the Lord of the Rings Trilogy to the silver screen in the early 2000s, and who spent nearly four years editing the original video and audio from the documentary footage of the Beatles rehearsing and creating songs for a live concert and album initially titled, 'Get Back'. That undertaking by Peter Jackson became a near 8 hour, 3-part documentary series, released in 2021, that was much better critically acclaimed and received than the original 80 minute film by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, released in the aftermath of the announcement of the break-up of the Beatles in May, 1970.

I watched Michael Lindsay-Hogg's film in an independent, retro movie theater near the CBD in Sydney, Australia in 1992 and I remember thinking that it didn't make the band members look as 'jovial' as the comedy film from the mid-1960s, those being 'A Hard Day's Night' and 'Help!'. I suppose Lindsay-Hogg was hampered by the cut he was instructed to release by McCartney, Harrison and Starr who all objected to the extra footage of John and Yoko in the initial cut of the film in July 1969. That initial cut was 1 hour longer. According to Michael Lindsay-Hogg: "There was much more stuff of John and Yoko, and the other three didn't really think that was appropriate because they wanted to make it a 'nicer' movie. They didn't want to have a lot of the dirty laundry, so a lot of it was cut down."

Peter Jackson's documentary series famously put the conflicts in the project into a larger context, and so it showed a lot more camaraderie amongst the band members than Lindsay-Hogg's original film.

“LET IT BE” – AT LAST

Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s Original 1970 Film About The Beatles, Meticulously Restored by Peter Jackson’s Team at Park Road Post Production to Launch Exclusively on Disney+ May 8, 2024

BURBANK, Calif. (April 16) – Today, Disney+ announced that “Let It Be,” director Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s original 1970 film about The Beatles, will launch exclusively on Disney+ May 8, 2024. This is the first time the film is available in over 50 years. 

First released in May 1970 amidst the swirl of The Beatles’ breakup, “Let It Be” now takes its rightful place in the band’s history. Once viewed through a darker lens, the film is now brought to light through its restoration and in the context of revelations brought forth in Peter Jackson’s multiple Emmy Award®-winning docuseries, “The Beatles: Get Back.” Released on Disney+ in 2021, the docuseries showcases the iconic foursome’s warmth and camaraderie, capturing a pivotal moment in music history. 

“Let It Be” contains footage not featured in the “Get Back” docuseries, bringing viewers into the studio and onto Apple Corps’ London rooftop in January 1969 as The Beatles, joined by Billy Preston, write and record their GRAMMY Award®-winning album Let It Be, with its Academy Award®-winning title song, and perform live for the final time as a group. With the release of “The Beatles: Get Back,” fan clamour for the original “Let It Be” film reached a fever pitch. With Lindsay-Hogg’s full support, Apple Corps asked Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production to dive into a meticulous restoration of the film from the original 16mm negative, which included lovingly remastering the sound using the same MAL de-mix technology that was applied to the “Get Back” docuseries. 

Michael Lindsay-Hogg says, “’Let It Be’ was ready to go in October/November 1969, but it didn’t come out until April 1970. One month before its release, The Beatles officially broke up. And so the people went to see ‘Let It Be’ with sadness in their hearts, thinking, ‘I’ll never see The Beatles together again. I will never have that joy again,’ and it very much darkened the perception of the film. But, in fact, how often do you get to see artists of this stature working together to make what they hear in their heads into songs. And then you get to the roof and you see their excitement, camaraderie and sheer joy in playing together again as a group and know, as we do now, that it was the final time, and we view it with full understanding of who they were and still are and a little poignancy. I was knocked out by what Peter was able to do with ‘Get Back,’using all the footage I’d shot 50 years previously.” 

“I’m absolutely thrilled that Michael’s movie, ‘Let It Be,’ has been restored and is finally being re-released after being unavailable for decades,” says Peter Jackson. "I was so lucky to have access to Michael’s outtakes for 'Get Back,’ and I’ve always thought that ‘Let It Be’ is needed to complete the ‘Get Back’ story. Over three parts, we showed Michael and The Beatles filming a groundbreaking new documentary, and ‘Let It Be’ is that documentary – the movie they released in 1970. I now think of it all as one epic story, finally completed after five decades. The two projects support and enhance each other: ‘Let It Be’ is the climax of ‘Get Back,’ while ‘Get Back’ provides a vital missing context for ‘Let It Be.’ Michael Lindsay-Hogg was unfailingly helpful and gracious while I made ‘Get Back,’ and it’s only right that his original movie has the last word...looking and sounding far better than it did in 1970.”

“Let It Be,” directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, stars John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, with a special appearance by Billy Preston. The film was produced by Neil Aspinall with The Beatles acting as executive producers. The director of photography was Anthony B Richmond.

“Let It Be” will debut exclusively on Disney+ May 8, 2024.

Source: https://www.thebeatles.com/let-it-be-last

[Chas.Alpha]

The last band I put together was in 2011. It took about 3 months of 3 nights a week rehearsals before I thought we were ready to play out. Talented players, present company excluded. 😬 5 months later, I was already sick of the drama.                                                               ..

Can you imagine being trapped in a hotel room with 3 other guys for 8 years? “You sniffled, @JohnS. You know how much I HATE the sound of your sniffles?!!!”

Ugh. The Liverpool lads were much better men than I could ever be.