Martin Scorsese’s ‘Beatles ‘64’ documentary given release date
Music documentaries are hardly a rare occurrence these days, particularly when focused on The Beatles. Over the years, the Fab Four have been at the centre of countless different documentaries, books, and films, all aiming to give a little more insight into the life and times of the biggest band of all time. However, it is not often that these films feature such a star-studded production crew, including the likes of Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi, who are set to collaborate on the upcoming Disney+ documentary Beatles ‘64.
Focusing on The Beatles’ first visit to the United States back in 1964, the documentary film aims to capture the spirit of a particularly important period in the band’s history. By the time they visited the USA, John, Paul, George, and Ringo were already household names in their native United Kingdom, but the intense popularity they witnessed in the States set the band on a path to global domination. Not only did their trip to America represent the absolute pinnacle of Beatlemania, but it ushered in an entirely new era for the group.
Beatles ‘64 will aim to capture the unparalleled cultural moment of The Beatles touching down at JFK Airport in New York, before appearing in living rooms nationwide through their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The importance of this event within the history of American music cannot be overstated, a fact which Beatles ‘64 will explore in-depth.
The documentary will reportedly be compiled of archival clips and famous footage of the band, in addition to footage originally shot by documentarians Albert and David Maysles, newly remastered in 4K. What’s more, the iconic film of The Beatles performing on The Ed Sullivan Show have been extensively remastered, too. This mixture of new and recently remastered footage will likely make Beatles ‘64 essential viewing for fans of the band.
Perhaps even more impressive, the documentary will be directed by David Tedeschi and produced by Martin Scorsese. As one of the greatest filmmakers in American history, Scorsese will undoubtedly leave his mark on the final film. In fact, the pair have previously worked together on multiple projects, including music documentaries like Personality Crisis: One Night Only, which chronicled the work of The New York Dolls’ David Johansen, as well as Rolling Thunder Revue, Scorsese’s film on Bob Dylan.
If the involvement of Scorsese and Tedeschi is not enough to reassure fans that Beatles ‘64 will do justice to the importance of The Beatles’ first steps onto US soil, the film has also been supported by the band’s two surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Both musicians will receive production credits on the film, alongside the likes of Sean Ono Lennon, and Oliva Harrison.
Beatles ‘64 is due to premiere exclusively on Disney+ from November 29th. Alongside its release, Apple Corps are also reissuing various Beatles compilation albums on heavyweight vinyl for the first time in decades. These records, originally released for the US market back in the 1960s, will be collected within a new box set, The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums In Mono.
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