Last year, we learned that ex-Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher would be producing a biopic about the Beatles, but updates about the project have been subsequently scarce. Well, the planned movie just got a lot more exciting, since acclaimed UK filmmaker Michael Winterbottom has been named as director.
Winterbottom is perhaps best known for his beloved Factory Records film 24 Hour Party People, and this connection suggests that this film might be a surreal and funny take on the Beatles' storied career. Certainly, this notion is corroborated by the fact that British comedy writer Jesse Armstrong (Four Lions, Peep Show) is penning the script.
The film is being produced by Winterbottom alongside Gallagher and Andrew Eaton. It was Eaton who told The Playlist that Winterbottom is planning to direct the picture himself.
"We're developing for Michael to direct, it's one of my passion projects," he said. "Liam's great to work with, because he wants everything to happen tomorrow. Because he's not from the film business, he's basically going 'Why can't we do it right now?' It's very inspiring."
There's no word as to when the movie will be ready, since casting isn't finished and filming is still a ways off. One major hurdle is securing the rights to use the Beatles' music.
"We're doing a bit of a dance at the moment," said Eaton. "We haven't really found a way to make it work."
As previously reported, the film is based on Richard DiLello's 1972 book The Longest Cocktail Party: An Insider's Diary of the Beatles, Their Million Dollar Apple Empire and Its Wild Rise and Fall. It follows the final years of the band's career, including their formation of Apple Corps. and their breakup.
Winterbottom is perhaps best known for his beloved Factory Records film 24 Hour Party People, and this connection suggests that this film might be a surreal and funny take on the Beatles' storied career. Certainly, this notion is corroborated by the fact that British comedy writer Jesse Armstrong (Four Lions, Peep Show) is penning the script.
The film is being produced by Winterbottom alongside Gallagher and Andrew Eaton. It was Eaton who told The Playlist that Winterbottom is planning to direct the picture himself.
"We're developing for Michael to direct, it's one of my passion projects," he said. "Liam's great to work with, because he wants everything to happen tomorrow. Because he's not from the film business, he's basically going 'Why can't we do it right now?' It's very inspiring."
There's no word as to when the movie will be ready, since casting isn't finished and filming is still a ways off. One major hurdle is securing the rights to use the Beatles' music.
"We're doing a bit of a dance at the moment," said Eaton. "We haven't really found a way to make it work."
As previously reported, the film is based on Richard DiLello's 1972 book The Longest Cocktail Party: An Insider's Diary of the Beatles, Their Million Dollar Apple Empire and Its Wild Rise and Fall. It follows the final years of the band's career, including their formation of Apple Corps. and their breakup.
