Peter Jackson has unveiled intimate footage from his upcoming documentary about The Beatles. The director has waded through over 60 hours of previously unseen footage and 150 hours of never before heard audio to create "The Beatles: Get Back."
The documentary, which takes a closer look at the band's time rehearsing and recording for their two final studio albums, "Abbey Road" and "Let It Be," was initially scheduled for release this year but the premiere date had to be pushed back to August 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In the spirit of the festive season, Jackson said on Monday he wanted to offer fans a "holiday treat" by offering a sneak-peek into "The Beatles: Get Back."
The five-minute clip features footage of The Beatles messing around in the studio, laughing and having fun while working on their music. There is no sign of the tension and strong dislike among the band members that led to their split that same year. The idea of the documentary was to capture "the warmth, camaraderie and creative genius that defined the legacy of the iconic foursome," according to an official news release.
The documentary includes footage from January 1969, when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were planning their first live show in over two years while writing and rehearsing the songs that they initially intended to release on an accompanying live album. The film also includes exclusive footage of The Beatles' historical rooftop concert on London’s Savile Row.
Commenting on the upcoming release, Starr said it has a refreshing new take on their recording sessions for "Let It Be."
"There was hours and hours of us just laughing and playing music, not at all like the Let It Be film that came out," he said, according to Independent. "There was a lot of joy and I think Peter will show that."