Get Back director Peter Jackson has revealed he’s helmed the upcoming video for The Beatles’ upcoming final single ‘Now and Then’.
To preview the release of ‘Now and Then’, The Beatles will share a 12-minute film on November 1st which tells the history of the forthcoming single. The song will officially be released on November 2nd before Jackson’s video arrives the forthcoming day at 2pm GMT.
Jackson has now revealed he was initially “very reluctant” to take on the project, and at first, he wanted to enjoy this special moment as a fan. However, once he began to dip his toe into the archives, it became impossible for him to reject The Beatles.
He told The Evening Standard: “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. I found myself swept along as they quickly addressed my concerns. Paul and Ringo shot footage of themselves performing and sent that to me. Apple unearthed 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, and gave all that to me.”
In the same message, he later said: “To be honest, while we hope we’ve given The Beatles a suitable final farewell, that’s something you’ll need to decide for yourselves when it’s finally released – only a few days from now.”
Anticipating the release, Jackson concluded: “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. I have genuine pride in what we made, and I’ll cherish that for years to come. A huge thanks to Apple Corps and the Fabs for giving me all the support I needed – and not allowing me to wriggle away.”
Meanwhile, Paul McCartney previously said of ‘Now and Then’: “There is was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it, it’s a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s quite an exciting thing.”
Ringo Starr also stated: “It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out.”
