A special screening of the restored version of The Beatles' fifth film, 1970's Let It Be, was held on Monday night in New York. The event was attended by members of the media, family and friends of The Beatles, including John Lennon's son Sean and Elvis Costello.
The screening was preceded by the film's trailer premiere, which was released on the band's social media platforms and YouTube. The film's director, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and Jonathan Clyde from the band's Apple Corps were present at the event and participated in a Q&A session prior to the screening
‘Let It Be’ will premiere on Disney+ on May 8th. The original 16 millimeter negative was restored by Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production. The company also remastered the sound using the MAL de-mixing technology, which was developed for Jackson's ‘Get Back’ documentary in 2021.
Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg reflected on the timing of the film's original release. "Let It Be was ready to go in October/November 1969, but it didn’t come out until April 1970. One month before its release, The Beatles officially broke up. And so the people went to see Let It Be with sadness in their hearts, thinking, ‘I’ll never see The Beatles together again. I will never have that joy again,’ and it very much darkened the perception of the film."
Peter Jackson added his perspective, stating, "I was so lucky to have access to Michael’s outtakes for Get Back, and I’ve always thought that Let It Be is needed to complete the Get Back story. Over three parts, we showed Michael and The Beatles filming a groundbreaking new documentary, and Let It Be is that documentary -- the movie they released in 1970. I now think of it all as one epic story, finally completed after five decades."
No word on if (or when) the re-mastered ‘Let It Be’ will be released on DVD/Blu-ray.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]