Peter Jackson is set to showcase his directorial debut video this November, which will feature the last Beatles’ song, “Now And Then.” The song was originally written and sung by John Lennon, while the rest of the Fab Four developed it, and the surviving band members have now finished it four decades later.
Peter could not be any prouder, as he anticipates the release, which will showcase the Beatles’ timeless and enduring love for one another. “I could be like any other Beatles fan, enjoying the night-before-Christmas anticipation as the release of a new Beatles song and music video approached,” he said.
Peter nearly refused the offer
Peter admitted he was nervous when Apple Corps “asked him to make the video,” and he never really said yes but went with the flow anyway. “I thought my next few months would be a hell of a lot more fun if that tricky task was somebody else’s problem,” he joked. It was a daunting task ahead, especially because there was hardly any footage showing the band working on the track. “I told Apple how the lack of suitable footage worried me. We’d need to use a lot of rare and unseen film, but there’s very little,” he recalled.
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Thankfully, Paul and Ringo provided footage of themselves performing, while Apple dug for “over 14 hours of long forgotten film shot during the 1995 recording sessions, including several hours of Paul, George and Ringo working on ‘Now And Then.’”
“I knew The Beatles don’t take no for an answer if their minds are set on something– but they didn’t even wait for me to say no,” Peter said. “I found myself swept along as they quickly addressed my concerns.”
The Beatles’ family found more footage
John Lennon’s son, Sean, whom he shared with Yoko Ono, also provided some home movie footage for Peter to use. “Sean and Olivia found some great unseen home movie footage and sent that,” Peter added. Beatles’ pioneer member, Pete Best, supplied another rare, never-seen-before clip of the band performing in their leather suits.
Peter was soon inspired after seeing all of the footage, and he teamed up with his Get Back editor, Jabez Olssen, to put all their finds together. “Having got to the end, I’m very happy I’m not waiting for the release of somebody else’s ‘Now And Then’ music video,” he said. He also thanked Apple Corps, Paul, Ringo, and everyone else who helped for “not allowing me to wriggle away.”
The 12-minute short film will premiere on the Beatles’ YouTube channel this Wednesday.
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