Ron Howard will direct a documentary on the Beatles as a live act, tracing their days from the clubs of Liverpool, England and Hamburg, Germany, to their final appearance at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966.
“What’s so intriguing to me is not only the subject, but the context we can bring to it now,” Howard says. “Not only can we do a study of these touring years, the narrative of an odyssey, we can look at the significance of the Beatles as individuals—as musical geniuses, as societal leaders and their effect on global culture. Dramatically it makes a lot of sense and cinematically, we have a chance to offer a unique experience.”
Producer Nigel Sinclair is hoping for a theatrical release for the film, which will focus on the band as a live act.
“The Beatles came at a time when people assumed ownership of their stars,” he says. “I think you can’t tell the story of popular music and its place in popular culture without looking at the live concert relationship between artist and audience. When the Beatles started, it was the job of artists is to tell people like me how we should live our lives. That was one of the massive changes that these four people wrought upon us.
“One of the things that interests Ron and I very much is the word exceptionalism. There is something utterly exceptional about the Beatles beyond any other musical group. I’m hoping, as we go on this journey together and piece together (this film), when it’s finished, you get an understanding of that.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
