'Beatles '64' Added to Disney+'s Documentary Lineup
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and George Martin arrive in America in 'Beatles 64'
Disney+
Disney+ has struggled to craft hits outside of its already established brands of Marvel and Star Wars, and more recently, the additions of Bluey and Doctor Who. However, one subject does seem to bring in eyeballs, even though it's a bit random for the House of Mouse: The Beatles, The Original British Boy Band from the 1960s are now considered rock deities. Disney+ scored its first non-Star Wars/Marvel hit in 2020 with Peter Jackson's Get Back and then drew in audiences again with the remastered Let It Be (which Get Back drew from). Disney is a company that doesn't mess with success, so it's not surprising that the streaming service scooped up Martin Scorsese's new Beatles documentary, Beatles '64, which, like Get Back, will arrive in time for the American Thanksgiving holiday.
The new film focuses on The Beatles’ first visit to America and boasts of having "never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance." It also includes rare footage from documentarians Albert and David Maysles and live performances from The Ed Sullivan Show and The Beatles' first American concert at the Washington, DC Coliseum. Plus, the last two living Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, sat down for all new interviews, contextualizing the experience with the band's history, alongside interviews from the Beatles superfans whose lives were transformed by their obsession.
The documentary premiere will coincide with the re-release of the seven American Beatles albums released between January 1964 and March 1965: Meet The Beatles!, The Beatles’ Second Album, A Hard Day’s Night, Something New, The Beatles’ Story, Beatles ’65, and The Early Beatles. These albums have been newly analog cut for 180-gram audiophile vinyl from their original mono master tapes.
Here's the documentary's synopsis:
On 7 February 1964, The Beatles arrived in New York City to unprecedented excitement and hysteria. From the instant they landed at Kennedy Airport, met by thousands of fans, Beatlemania swept New York and the entire country. Their thrilling debut performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” captivated more than 73 million viewers, the most watched television event of its time. Beatles ‘64 presents the spectacle, but also reflects a more intimate behind the scenes story, capturing the camaraderie of John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they experienced unimaginable fame.
The new film was directed by David Tedeschi and produced by Scorsese, McCartney, Starr, George's widow, Olivia Harrison, John's son Sean Ono Lennon, and Margaret Bodde, Jonathan Clyde, and Mikaela Beardsley, with Jeff Jones and Rick Yorn serving as executive producers.
Beatles '64 will debut on Disney+ on Friday, November 29, 2024, and the Beatles remasters of Meet The Beatles!; The Beatles’ Second Album; A Hard Day’s Night (Original Motion Picture Sound Track); Something New; The Beatles’ Story (2LP); Beatles ’65; and The Early Beatles will all arrive one week prior on Friday, November 22, 2024, either for individual purchase or as a box set, The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums In Mono.
