The release of The Beatles – Free As A Bird: A Song Reborn [Short Film] reframes one of the most emotional chapters in Beatles history. Built from never-before-seen studio footage, the film documents the remarkable 1994 reunion of Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. It was the first time the surviving Beatles worked together in a studio since the band’s split 24 years earlier.
At the heart of the film is an unfinished John Lennon demo, handed to the group by Yoko Ono. What followed was not nostalgia, but collaboration. The short film shows the three musicians reconnecting creatively while shaping Lennon’s home recording into Free As A Bird, later recognised with a GRAMMY Award.
The project succeeded because it avoided sentimentality. Lennon’s voice and piano remained central, while McCartney, Harrison and Starr built around it with care. The sessions, filmed during 1994 and 1995, capture moments of hesitation, humour and rediscovery. The bond between the three is evident, grounded in shared history rather than performance.
Producer Jeff Lynne helped guide the sessions, maintaining balance between preservation and completion. The result was a Beatles song that belonged to all four members, despite the absence of one. A Song Reborn presents this process clearly, without narration or interruption, allowing the footage to speak for itself.
The short film directly feeds into the expanded return of The Beatles Anthology. Episode Nine, newly produced for 2025, continues the story and is streaming exclusively on Disney+. This new episode focuses entirely on the 1994-95 sessions, with further unseen material and new reflections from McCartney, Harrison and Starr recorded before Harrison’s death.
The re-edited Anthology 2025 series has been restored in 4K and remixed in Dolby Atmos. Across nine episodes, the project reshapes the original documentary for a modern audience while maintaining its archival depth. The addition of Episode Nine provides narrative closure to a story that originally ended without fully exploring the reunion sessions.
The roots of Anthology trace back to 1970, when Apple Corps manager Neil Aspinall began assembling archival Beatles footage. His early cut, titled The Long And Winding Road, was completed in 1971 but shelved. Plans briefly resurfaced in 1980, when John Lennon spoke of a possible reunion concert, before his death later that year ended the idea.
The project was revived in 1992 as a full documentary series, with McCartney, Harrison and Starr actively involved. Interviews were conducted with Jools Holland, alongside contributions from Aspinall, Derek Taylor and producer George Martin. The title The Beatles Anthology was adopted, reflecting a collective history rather than a single era.
The most unexpected outcome of Anthology was new Beatles music. After plans for a reunion concert were abandoned, attention turned to recording. Yoko Ono provided Lennon’s demo tapes in 1994, containing Free As A Bird, Real Love, Now And Then and Grow Old With Me.
Free As A Bird and Real Love were completed during the sessions and premiered during the original broadcasts. Now And Then remained unfinished until 2023. In 2025, new mixes of Free As A Bird and Real Love appear again, refreshed by Jeff Lynne and curated by Giles Martin.
The musical side of Anthology has also been newly remastered. Originally curated by George Martin, the collection now spans three double albums of rare recordings, remixed by Giles Martin. A fourth release, Anthology 4, introduces 13 previously unreleased demos and session takes, expanding the narrative further.
A Song Reborn ultimately celebrates the endurance of friendship, the patience of craft and the enduring relevance of The Beatles story.
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