Disney+ has recently released the rarely seen, newly restored 4K version of the 1970 documentary Let It Be, shot on 16mm negative and virtually lost for 54 years. It chronicles the Beatles’ rehearsals and recordings for what would become their twelfth and final studio album, and also captures the group’s final public Apple Records rooftop concert on 30 January 1969.
The original documentary, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, was something of a holy grail for Beatles fans, shrouded in mystery and unavailable for purchase or streaming. Part of the reason for this is the mysterious disappearance of the original master tapes from Apple Corps after the film was completed.
To coincide with the re-release of the documentary, a new music video for The Beatles’ beloved song ‘Let It Be’ has been unveiled. The new video features footage from the restored version of the 1970 documentary, as well as previously unseen alternate camera angles.
Written and performed by Paul McCartney, ‘Let It Be’ became the Fab Four’s 19th and penultimate chart-topping single in the United States in 1970, the year of their break-up. It also lent its name to the group’s final studio album.
It’s not just this new music video and documentary that Beatles fans can expect. Sir Sam Mendes, the Oscar-winning director behind films such as American Beauty, 1917 and two James Bond films, Skyfall and Spectre, is planning to produce four feature-length Beatles biopics, each dedicated to one of the band’s iconic members. Exact release dates will be announced at a later date, but Sony is targeting a 2027 release.
