A film currently in development will try to pretend the Beatles' breakup never happened.
The film, tentatively called "Get Back" and scripted by Chris McCoy, has two Beatle fans travel back in a time machine to prevent the meeting of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, thereby, they believe, keeping the Beatles from breaking up, according to Variety. Current plans call for the film, if released, to appear in 2012.
Variety reports Mark Waters, whose "Mr. Popper's Penguins" starring Jim Carrey and Carla Gugino, is due this year, is interested in directing the film.
Seriously, this has got to be one of the most unnecessary projects we've heard of. Hopefully, saner heads will prevail in Hollywood and abandon this idea. Even if done as a fantasy that fails (since Yoko Ono didn't really break up the Beatles; they themselves did), it's an exceptionally strange and crazy idea.
Comments
It's not a terrible idea to see where the Beatles would have gone after 1970, but preventing John and Yoko from meeting wouldn't have saved the band...
Like I said, Yoko didn't break up the Beatles, so yeah.
Of course she didn't (for the 75,658,551th time). The only thing she's guilty of is being part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. She encouraged the animosity (pushed John toward Klein, for example, and told him he was better than the Beatles) when she could have played a more positive role. But then, that's true for all four of the Beatles: They could all have handled things better. No one of them is to blame.
But what are you gonna do? Things fall apart.
Sousa: What wife wouldn't have done a lot of what Yoko did? Not that she should be, but it's funny how people don't criticize what Linda did for Paul. She stuck up for him in the same ways that Yoko did for John. They were both strong women and both did what they thought was right for their man.
Plenty of people criticized Linda initially and blamed her for the breakup, too. It wasn't just Yoko who was blamed.
But they stopped blaming Linda after a while. Why? One reason is in their behavior. Linda never publicly dissed John's musical talents the way that Yoko publicly criticized Paul's talents over the years (the moon/June insult; the Mozart/Salieri insult). Yoko alienated Paul fans in ways that Linda never alienated John fans. Hence the continuing resentment of Yoko (some of it deserved; her comments about Paul seemed hurtful).
Plus, I suppose if it was Paul who had been murdered, and Linda had taken over his estate, Linda could have come in for some heavy criticism, too, depending on how she handled things. There would have been some blaming the wife baloney, just like with Yoko. It is certainly a lot of pressure on Yoko to manage the estate, although it has also provided her with a fabulous bank account and tremendous opportunities.
Why is it a terrible idea? Sounds like it could be really fun, creative and interesting...and afterall, i'm still pissed at yoko! sounds like a great follow up to Ted's Excellent adventure!
Okay, movies like Beackbeat and Nowhere Boy or even I Wanna Hold Your Hand make sense. This is just a ridiculous idea that perpetuates the absurd myth that Yoko caused the Beatles split.
Agree completely. As if she needs that myth rejuvenated again.
It totally makes it seem like it is validating that Yoko was the sole reason the Beatles broke up. It's not true at all and I'm just someone who's read and seen all I can that's publicly available. It's just not true, you know. Also, another thing, how can someone like screamo metal or even some Led Zeppelin/Janis Joplin yet be totally adverse to what Yoko was doing singing-wise? She was very much ahead of her time with the screaming and caterwauling.
Maybe they ought to read my book, "All You Need is Love." Same basic concept except that it is (mostly) factual and Yoko isn't branded the bad guy. By learning to practice what they preached (love), the lads find the way to inner peace and harmony. Perhaps I should sue for copyright infringement. Thanks for the tip, Steve.
**rolls eyes**
If they're going to make fan fiction in to movies (Such as Lennon Naked and now this) why don't they make mine? It's better written then any AU and way way better then Lennon Naked
I think this is a pretty good idea.
The worst thing that ever happened to john Lennon was Yoko and i think all Beatle fans deserve the pleasure of seeing what might have happened had that creature never appeared in his life.
I love the idea of where The Beatles might have went - but I kind of prefer the concept of the fans going back in time and stopping John's assassination - the a reunion happens naturally. I believe that really COULD have happened. I'm no Yoko fan - but I don;t blame her for breaking up The Beatles. It's just not fair. AND I would miss their solo careers (most of it anyway!)
Yes!!! THAT is where the sweet spot is in this kind of movie. Having a time machine to step in to keep John from getting completely killed, maybe he is seriously injured like Gifford, but takes a year or two to recover fully. Then the reunion happens full on with a new kind of meaning. This movie is sounding more and more like an anti-Yoko movie, and she's done a lot to keep the idea of Lennon going on.
How about ... LET IT BE on DVD !! with bonus features :)
Ah, then you've read my book! There is an army of us Baby-Boomers out there who can't help but wonder what might have been... Well, some of us have acted on that fantasy. It harms no one and, I think, gives us hope that perhaps there are other worlds or universes in which John and George live on, making beautiful music. For me, that would be Heaven.
It's still a lousy idea for a movie.
I tend to agree. A movie of this sort involving the Beatles would just be so much piffle. The beauty of fantasy is that it lives in the mind, and there it can flower within the confines of inferred reality. This is why Stephen King's books translate so poorly to the silver screen. It's the power of your imagination which fuels the terror he generates. Seeing it in actual reality before your eyes just deflates it. The same arguement can be applied here. Beautiful concept; lousy film. Better to let it exist as a dream where it can mean different things to different people..
People! Get a grip! Keep telling yourself..........It's only a movie.......It's only a movie......It's only a movie.......
You're right!
>Seriously, this has got to be one of the most unnecessary projects we've heard of. Hopefully, saner heads will prevail in Hollywood and abandon this idea. Even if done as a fantasy that fails (since Yoko Ono didn't really break up the Beatles; they themselves did), it's an exceptionally strange and crazy idea.
Steve, why are you so quick to disparage a project when all you have to on is a press release? Have you read the script?
"Get Back" was on the 2007 Black List as one of the best unproduced screenplays of the year. It stands to reason this project wouldn't have gotten this far if the script didn't at some point plan to vindicate Yoko Ono and her role as John Lennon's muse, especially if they're hoping to get her permission to use John's likeness and music in the film.
Michael: I disagree that it wouldn't have gotten this far. The terrible "Paul Is Not Dead" DVD was released, as did "Lennon Naked," a one-dimensional portrait of Lennon that really didn't make him look very good, even though it had his music in it. Some things get through.
I think this film is a curious idea, and if done properly, maybe a worthwhile film. Preventing Yoko to meet John would not save the Beatles, but would result a very different way for the band to break up. I'd love to see what would happen.
So If done properly with good research, knowledge about the band (and the real reasons for the break up) and a good sense of humour, this could end up a film that at least I would like to see.
I see your point, but the likelihood of a script writer going doing that much work for a thin concept such as this is pretty unlikely, in my view.
I think you guys are all taking this WAY too seriously? This sounds like an hilarious Bill and Ted style romp. Yoko broke up the Beatles is the cliche, if course it's the one they're going to go with.
And I'd say there's a high probability of the movie ending in them breaking up anyway (Yoko-less) and there being a contemplative and deep moment where 'there's something to learn for all of us'. That's the way Hollywood movies work…
Maybe it is, but given some of the horrible films out of Hollywood lately, I don't know that they're that creative. We can hope, though.
This could be an interesting concept...I think it would be funny (and probably most likely) if the characters realize that if they would have prevented Yoko and John from meeting, either that other things would have caused the inevitable break-up, or that something much worse would have happened that could have been fatal to all four Beatles (such as a plane crash or something). I doubt they would paint Yoko out to be the bad guy.
I hope the scriptwriters are putting as much thought into this film as some of the comments here.
A screenplay is just a blueprint, but having read that blueprint (dated March 21, 2007), I can confidently state that the film’s failure will not be for lack of a well-written script. Clearly Chris McCoy is Beatles fan. Think High Fidelity meets Back To The Future. “Get Back” is pro-Yoko - I can’t imagine she’d be anything less than delighted to give this film her blessing.
Anyone interested can read a “spoilerish” synopsis by Carson Reeves over at Scriptshadow:
http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/2011/02/get-back.html
Reeves concludes: “This is a really fun little script that has a ton of potential – potential it may have fulfilled in the three years since McCoy wrote the original draft. Let’s hope so cause this definitely needs to become a movie.”
I wholeheartedly agree.
I read the link and it really said nothing that would change my opinion. In fact, the concept of the film seems even sillier after reading it.
Perhaps if John hadn't met Yoko he'd still be alive. He would have no reason to move to New York. He would still be in England. It would have been harder to go to the UK to kill him.
Anyway, it would be a better movie if they went back in time to prevent the death of Brian Epstein. That was really the beginning of the end of the Beatles.
We don't know John would have still been in England had he not met Yoko.
And it's never really been discussed how effect Brian Epstein would have had had he been around. Very interesting topic, though.
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