Chris McCoy first made a name for himself back in 2007 when his script GET BACK made Hollywood’s Black List for the best unproduced screenplays of the year. Three years later GET BACK may finally go before cameras as Mark Waters (MEAN GIRLS) has signed on to direct the film. And as referenced in the headline, it is indeed a time travel comedy about The Beatles.
The film follows two die-hard Beatles fans who, like many die-hard Beatles fans, don’t hold a very warm place in their heart for Yoko Ono and blame her for breaking up the band. They find a way to travel back in time to prevent John Lennon from ever meeting Yoko and keeping the Fab Four together.
It’ll be interesting to see how the film gets likeness rights to John Lennon and Beatles rights without the help of Yoko, who know controls John’s considerable portion of the Beatles estate.
Waters is currently directing MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS with Jim Carrey, which is set to open in mid-June. Mid-June is not-so-coincidentally when the studio is gearing up to start production on GET BACK.
While we’re here, I know it’s a knee-jerk reaction to blame Yoko for breaking up The Beatles but frankly, I think that was just Lennon looking for a way out. Yoko or not, the relationship between all The Beatles had fractured pretty deeply towards the end. And them breaking up might’ve been the best thing for them in the end (I can’t imagine them still touring like the Rolling Stones). Do you think the Beatles should’ve stayed together or was them breaking up and having a clear end to their legacy a good thing?