Oscar-winning director Ron Howard will direct a documentary about The Beatles' early touring career. The film will chronicle Beatlemania, from the band's appearance in the clubs of Liverpool, England, to its final appearance at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966.
The documentary will be produced by Apple Corps Ltd. (which represents the Beatles), White Horse Pictures and Imagine Entertainment. It will also feature interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison.
"What's so compelling to me is the perspective that we have now, the chance to really understand the impact that they had on the world," Howard told Rolling Stone. "That six-year period is such a dramatic transformation in terms of global culture and these remarkable four individuals, who were both geniuses and also entirely relatable. That duality is something that is going to be very interesting to explore."
The Beatles, consisting of McCartney, Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison, started performing in Liverpool in 1961 and began touring Europe in 1963. Following a famous appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show," their popularity shot up and they started touring globally. By the time of their last performance in 1966, the Fab Four had played 166 concerts in 90 cities around the globe.
The film, which is intended to be released at the end of 2015, will focus on the band as a live act. Howard plans to incorporate fan-sourced video footage. By adding sound and digitally repairing footage shot in 8mm and Super 8 that has never been available to the public, Howard hopes to recreate previously unseen concerts and create an experience where the viewer feels like they are in the '60s.
Howard, who won a best director Oscar in 2002 for "A Beautiful Mind," also directed Jay-Z's "Made in America" documentary. Nigel Sinclair, the Grammy-winning producer who is known for his work in documentaries such as "George Harrison: Living in the Material World" and "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan," will also join the film.
The documentary will also examine how Beatles fandom transcends time and generations. Howard hopes to find a fan that attended a Beatles concern early in their life and trace their relationship with the band and talk to their grandchildren to see how different generations find meaning in the band's music.
