Disney To Debut 'The Beatles: Get Back' As Three-Part Streaming Series

Walt Disney Co DIS has announced that the long-anticipated updated edition of The Beatles’ 1970 film “Let It Be” will premiere on its Disney+ streaming service.

What Happened: “The Beatles: Get Back” will be presented as a Disney+ Original documentary series consisting of three two-hour episodes. The production will have its debut from Nov. 25-27.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson culled more than 55 hours of previously unseen footage that was shot in 1969 for “Let It Be,” a documentary film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg and included footage of the band’s last live performance on the rooftop of their London headquarters on Jan. 30, 1969.

Lindsay-Hogg’s footage, which was shot in 16mm, has been digitally restored for this presentation. The new series will present the rooftop concert in its 42-minute entirety.

“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,” said Bob Iger, Disney’s executive chairman and chairman of the board.

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Why It Happened: “Let It Be” was released by United Artists in May 1970, one month after the Beatles broke up, and captured the band’s growing irritation with each other during the final months of their collaboration. Harrison briefly quit the band while the film was being shot, but this was not included in the final print.

Although the film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score, it has been out of circulation after a brief VHS video release since the early 1980s and has only been available over the past years as a bootleg title. The surviving Beatles have resisted calls to make it available again.

“The Beatles: Get Back” was initially planned as a feature film for a September 2020 release before being expanded into a three-part streaming series. The announcement of the new series did not state when or if “Let It Be” will finally be returned to release.

(Photo courtesy of Disney+)