The project has the blessing of the surviving members

Fab news for any fans of John, Paul, George and Ringo - Ron Howard has been confirmed as director of the official Beatles biopic documentary. Rest assured, it's likely to be suitably epic.

The movie, which will tell the story of the Fab Four, has been in the works for a while, but has now been given the go ahead by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison. With Howard at the helm, the movie will take in an epic format, following the band from their days at the Cavern Club, all the way to the closing rooftop show.

As for the plot of the film, it'll follow the band through the touring years, from 1963 to 1966, focussing on the Beatlesmania concept of the era. In order to lend the film a more genuine edge, Howard is asking fans to send in any rare or unseen footage and photos of the band from the 60's, in order to help capture what it was like to be there.

Watch footage of the Beatles' rooftop show below

Howard said that he was "excited" and "honoured" to be working on the project, refferring to it as an "astounding story of four men who stormed the world". He added: “Their impact on popular culture and the human experience cannot be exaggerated.”

Howard previously directed Rush, a biopic of James Hunt and Niki Lauda, that combined archive footage with live action. As a film it worked incredibly well and is likely to mirror the format that will be seen in the official Beatles movie.

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