'The Beatles Anthology': How the Docuseries' New Episode 9 Got Made
The newly refurbished version of “The Beatles Anthology” has been rolling out on Disney+ over a period of days this week, with a newly commissioned Episode 9 premiering on the service Friday night. It gives the epic 1995 docuseries more than just a new edit and a fresh set of paint: it gives it an all-new finale that feels sweeter than the way the original project faded out with the gradual breakup of the most popular band of all time. And fans aren’t likely to mind the extra hour’s worth of either added context or additional sentiment.
With the new episode about to premiere, its director, Oliver Murray, told Variety about his intentions for this fresh finale. He’s the same man whom Apple Corps drafted to a short movie about the “final Beatles single,” “Now and Then,” when that was unveiled two years ago. Even though he was not yet a teenager when the original “Beatles Anthology” first aired in prime time 30 years ago, Murray was considered the right candidate to draw together footage that was shot at the time with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The three ex-Beatles became active Beatles once again at that point in drafting old John Lennon home demos to expand upon for “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” songs that were added to the “Anthology” albums also being released in ’95. And they even attempted, briefly, “Now and Then,” although it took till 2023 for that third number to come to fruition, but it at least gets foreshadowed in the new Ep9.
The British filmmaker says he gave himself the mission to humanize the three musicians as they reassessed their legacy in the ’90s, while also recognizing that their story is “modern, 20th century folklore (that) doesn’t age, in the same way that something like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ doesn’t age.” (The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
Source: Chris Willman/variety.com
