The Beatles fans can finally Let It Be as the long-buried film has been re-released having been officially unavailable for more than 50 years. Available to stream here on Disney+, the documentary is a restored version of the original film from director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, released on Wednesday (May 8) to mark the 54th anniversary of the Let It Be album.
After the success of multi-Emmy-winning Beatles doc, Get Back, Disney+ dusted off the original film that has been meticulously restored by Peter Jackson’s team using the same technology used for the epic 2021 three-parter. The original documentary was first released in May 1970 amidst the band’s breakup and is now brought to light through its restoration and in the context of revelations seen in Get Back.
It contains footage not seen in Get Back that captures the recording sessions of The Fab Four’s twelfth and final studio album as well as their iconic final performance on Apple Corps’ London rooftop in January 1969. The Beatles: Let It Be is streaming exclusively on Disney+, which Beatles fans can join from £4.99 a month for the Standard with Ads plan.
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Disney+ members can get the equivalent of two months free by paying for a year upfront, bagging 12 months for the price of 10 on the Standard or Premium plans. A 12-month subscription to the Premium plan now costs £109.90 – saving £21.98 compared to paying monthly – and includes higher video quality up to 4K UHD and HDR, plus the ability to stream on four devices simultaneously with access to acclaimed shows like Welcome to Wrexham, The Bear and Shōgun.
Following the release of Get Back and with Lindsay-Hogg’s full support, Apple Corps asked The Lord of the Rings director Jackson’s Park Road Post Production to dive into a meticulous restoration of the film from the original 16mm negative. Speaking ahead of its release, Jackson said Let It Be provides “a vital missing context” that completes “one epic story.”
He said: “I was so lucky to have access to Michael’s outtakes for Get Back, and I’ve always thought Let It Be is needed to complete the Get Back story. I now think of it all as one epic story, finally completed after five decades.
“The two projects support and enhance each other: Let It Be is the climax of Get Back, while Get Back provides a vital missing context for Let It Be. Michael was unfailingly helpful and gracious while I made Get Back, and it’s only right that his original movie has the last word – looking and sounding far better than it did in 1970.”
Let It Be has earned a raft of positive reviews from critics, with The Guardian awarding it four stars and saying it ‘offers light and insightful moments’. The Telegraph also gave it four stars and hailed it as ‘charming’, while NME described it as ‘staggering’.
Some circles of Beatles fans were apprehensive about the film’s re-release as it was originally released under a dark cloud amid their break-up. However, since launch many fans have taken to social media describing the film as a ‘joyful’ experience and hailed it as a ‘revelation’.
Writing on X, @clueddownmark said: “The remastered Let it Be on Disney+ is a revelation. I can’t believe they hid away this joyous little film for half a century! It looks and sounds fab.”
@ThomasRBeattie said: “If the Beatles mean something to you, then this restored Let It Be film will be nothing short of magical.” @tz2519 said: “The quality and sound was fabulous, just to see the rooftop gig again blooming excellent.”
@Colvick said: “Peter Jackson has worked his magic and cleaned up visuals and audio. And actually it is quite a joyous film.”
@TankEngineLuna said: “I’m so happy it was remastered finally after over 50 years thanks to Peter Jackson. Definitely my favourite movie/documentary about The Beatles to date and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes music or The Beatles.”
The Beatles: Let It Be is streaming now on Disney+, alternatively, a host of new shows are streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video, including post-apocalyptic action-adventure Fallout and Jeremy Clarkson docuseries Clarkson’s Farm, both of which can be streamed free today with an Amazon Prime 30-day free trial.