The Beatles broke up in 1970 but – as far as the film industry is concerned – they are more current than ever, with a flood of Beatles-related films in cinemas and on streaming platforms. The band’s final film Let It Be was restored and released on Disney+ in May; Midas Man, a biopic of their manager Brian Epstein is to be released in October; and One Hand Clapping, long-lost footage of Paul McCartney in the studio in the early 70s with Wings will get an airing in cinemas across the world starting next week. Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville is readying another McCartney documentary, Man on the Run, about his post-Beatles career. And on the horizon is Sam Mendes’ mammoth Beatles tetralogy – one film each for John Lennon, McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – planned for release in 2027.
The reasoning behind Beatles-related films is not hard to discern. Music writer and broadcaster Peter Paphides says: “For me, it’s like the greatest story ever told. We all know the story now. We know what the narrative arc is. We know it has everything in it. We know it has friendship, love, incredible music. The whole human condition is just encased in the story of the Beatles.”
