We’ve been waiting a year for Peter Jackson’s documentary about the making of the Beatles “Let it Be.” It’s set for the last week of August, a year and some months after the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ technical last release but second to last album.
In the meantime, Hulu has just announced they’re dropping their own Paul McCartney documentary series on July 16th. It kind of sets up the Beatles doc, no? I don’t think it undercuts it, but it’s curious that McCartney commissioned a doc, with Rick Rubin of all people, to precede the “Get Back” movie.
McCartney already had a documentary commissioned and almost made — it was filmed — with director Paul Haggis. But Haggis is now involved in a complicated rape accusation and trial (that I’m sorry, I don’t believe, I know it’s not PC, but it doesn’t fit his profile). The Haggis film was shelved, the footage wasn’t even used for the Rubin project. Hopefully one day we’ll see it.
I’m looking forward to this six part Rubin series called “3, 2, 1.” McCartney, like every genius, is quite complex. But he’s even more so. The range of his career will be studied for a long time. McCartney himself is not good at self-evaluation, although we will see his $100 autobiography this fall. I hope Rubin can get to the heart of it. Then of course, they could turn the camera on him. That’s another story!
