In a year not wrecked by COVID, we would be getting Peter Jackson’s documentary The Beatles: Get Back right about now. Sadly, this year was wrecked by COVID and the documentary was delayed. Thankfully, Jackson, who resides in New Zealand, which has largely defeated the virus, has provided fans with a sneak peek of his work. The film showcases the band’s recording sessions from January 1969 as well as the Beatles last live performance as a group. Jackson used the same digital restoration techniques he employed on his previous documentary, They Shall Not Grow Old, which was able to restore footage from World War I.

Looking at this sneak peek, I could not be more excited for The Beatles: Get Back. I’m a huge Beatles fan, and getting to see the band up close is a real thrill. Since this was a collaboration with the surviving Beatles, I don’t expect a warts-and-all documentary even though this footage takes place before the band broke up, but it’s still nice to see them in the recording studio as well as the prospect of the rooftop concert in restored footage.

Check out the sneak peek below. The Beatles: Get Back opens in U.S. theaters on August 27, 2021.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Beatles: Get Back:

Acclaimed filmmaker Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” is a unique cinematic experience that takes audiences back in time to The Beatles’ intimate recording sessions during a pivotal moment in music history. The film showcases the warmth, camaraderie and creative genius that defined the legacy of the iconic foursome. Shot in January 1969 and compiled from over 60 hours of unseen footage (filmed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg) and more than 150 hours of unheard audio, all of which has been brilliantly restored, “The Beatles: Get Back” is the story of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr as they plan their first live show in over two years and charts the writing and rehearsing of 14 new songs, originally intended for release on an accompanying live album. The film features – for the first time in its entirety – The Beatles' last live performance as a group, the unforgettable rooftop concert on London’s Savile Row as well as other songs and classic compositions featured on the band’s final two albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be.

An exciting new collaboration between The Beatles and three-time Oscar®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “They Shall Not Grow Old”) presented by The Walt Disney Studios in association with Apple Corps Ltd. and WingNut Films Productions Ltd., “The Beatles: Get Back” is directed by Jackson, produced by Jackson, Clare Olssen (“They Shall Not Grow Old”) and Jonathan Clyde (“Eight Days A Week”), with Ken Kamins (“The Hobbit” trilogy) and Apple Corps’ Jeff Jones (“Eight Days A Week”) serving as executive producers. Jabez Olssen (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) serves as the film’s editor, and the music is mixed by Giles Martin (“Rocketman”) and Sam Okell (“Yesterday”).