Beatlemania Returns! Watch the Trailer for Scorsese-Produced ‘Beatles ’64’ Documentary

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The trailer for an all-new Martin Scorsese-produced documentary, Beatles ’64, was released today (Nov. 14, 2024). The film will stream exclusively on Disney+ beginning November 29, 2024. The initial announcement (on Oct. 14) from the streaming service says that the film, directed by David Tedeschi, “captures the electrifying moment of The Beatles’ first visit to America. Featuring never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance, the film gives a rare glimpse into when The Beatles became the most influential and beloved band of all time.” Judging from the excitement seen in the trailer, the film looks to rekindle the feeling from the initial Beatlemania era of 60 years earlier.

“When we came, it was shortly after [President] Kennedy [was] assassinated,” says Paul McCartney in the film. “Maybe America needed something like the Beatles to be lifted out of sorrow.”

According to the press release, “On February 7, 1964, the Beatles arrived in New York City to unprecedented excitement and hysteria. From the instant they landed at Kennedy Airport, met by thousands of fans, Beatlemania swept New York and the entire country. Their thrilling debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show captivated more than 73 million viewers, the most watched television event of its time. Beatles ’64 presents the spectacle, but also tells a more intimate behind the scenes story, capturing the camaraderie of John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they experienced unimaginable fame.”

The Beatles’ press conference at New York’s JFK Airport, Feb. 7, 1964. (Photo © Apple Corps Ltd.; used with permission)

The film, says the announcement, “includes rare footage filmed by pioneering documentarians Albert and David Maysles, beautifully restored in 4K by Park Road Post in New Zealand. The live performances from the Beatles’ first American concert at the Washington, D.C., Coliseum and their Ed Sullivan appearances were demixed by WingNut Films and remixed by Giles Martin. Spotlighting this singular cultural moment and its continued resonance today, the music and footage are augmented by newly filmed interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as fans whose lives were transformed by the Beatles.”

Watch the official trailer

Beatles ’64 is directed by Tedeschi and produced by Scorsese, Margaret Bodde, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison, Sean Ono Lennon, Jonathan Clyde, Mikaela Beardsley, with Jeff Jones and Rick Yorn serving as executive producers.

Coinciding with the film’s Disney+ release, seven American Beatles albums have been analog cut for 180-gram audiophile vinyl from their original mono master tapes for global release on November 22 by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe. Originally compiled for U.S. release between January 1964 and March 1965 by Capitol Records and United Artists, these mono albums have been out of print on vinyl since 1995. The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums In Mono is available now for preorder in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

Watch the official trailer for The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono

Meet The Beatles!; The Beatles’ Second Album; A Hard Day’s Night (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack); Something New; Beatles ’65; and The Early Beatles are available individually here.