Peter Jackson reveals what to expect from The Beatles documentary that took two years to edit

Peter Jackson has spent two years working on a documentary about The Beatles: (Picture: Rex/PA)

Peter Jackson has opened up about his feature-length documentary The Beatles: Get Back, admitting the editing process has been tough.

The director said he spent three of four months editing Lord of the Rings but it has taken him two years to piece together the film about the band.

He told the August issue of British GQ: ‘We’ve been editing this series for about two years now and it’s the longest editing I’ve ever done in my career.

‘I mean, you normally edit a movie, like a Lord Of The Rings type, in about three or four months, but this has been two years. It’s a very complicated thing to cut.’

The film follows Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison as they recorded their Grammy-winning studio album Let It Be, which was released in 1970.

During this time, the Beatles were said to be extremely unhappy and John once described their last recording session as ‘hell’.

Peter spoke out in the August issue of British GQ, out now (Picture: GQ)

Oscar-winning director Peter dissected 55 hours of footage of the hugely famous band as they recorded the release.

The documentary will feature the famous studio argument between Paul and George that was included in the 1970 Let It Be film.

Peter has included the full six-minute discussion between the musicians in the documentary to give it some context.

He said: ‘It no longer feels like an argument. It no longer feels like Paul is getting on George’s nerves. You understand what Paul’s trying to achieve. You understand where George is coming from. And the whole thing actually makes sense.

‘The thing is, when the film was released, The Beatles were breaking up, but they weren’t breaking up when they were making Let It Be, which was recorded a year earlier.’

Peter previously opened up about the documentary when he signed up to work on the project in 2019.

He said at the time: ‘The 55 hours of never-before-seen footage and 140 hours of audio made available to us, ensures this movie will be the ultimate “fly-on-the-wall” experience that Beatles fans have long dreamt about – it’s like a time machine transports us back to 1969, and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together.

‘I was relieved to discover the reality is very different to the myth.

‘After reviewing all the footage and audio that Michael Lindsay-Hogg shot 18 months before they broke up, it’s simply an amazing historical treasure-trove. Sure, there’s moments of drama – but none of the discord this project has long been associated with.

‘Watching John, Paul, George, and Ringo work together, creating now-classic songs from scratch, is not only fascinating – it’s funny, uplifting and surprisingly intimate.

More: Paul McCartney

‘I’m thrilled and honoured to have been entrusted with this remarkable footage – making the movie will be a sheer joy.’

Read the full interview in the August issue of British GQ available via digital download and on newsstands now.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Shaun Ryder in agony with testicle cysts: ‘It’s like having really bad toothache in your balls’

MORE : Heidi Klum won’t be hosting her iconic Halloween bash again this year and we’re gutted