A new biopic of The Beatles‘ manager Brian Epstein has become the first feature film centering on the Fab Four to win the rights to use original songs from the legendary band’s back catalogue, according to Deadline.
The Fifth Beatle is aiming to tell the story of Epstein’s life from the time he discovered The Beatles at the Cavern Club in the early Sixties to his untimely death from an accidental overdose in August 1967. His sudden passing is widely seen as marking the beginning of the end for The Beatles who, devoid of the expertise of their calm figure-head, became embroiled in flawed business ventures and inter-band turmoil.
And after Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, together with the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison, granted permission for four Beatles tracks to be used in a documentary about their loyal secretary Freda Kelly, reports are now suggesting those behind the Epstein feature film have now also secured a similar deal.
The movie’s screenplay has been written by Vivek J. Tiwary, and is being produced by Oscar winner Bruce Cohen.