BIOPIC OF BEATLES MANAGER TO USE ORIGINAL BEATLES TUNES

Surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison have given permission for the producers of a forthcoming biography of the group’s former manager, Brian Epstein, to use their early music in the film, Deadline.com reported on Monday, citing no sources. Titled The Fifth Beatle (reportedly McCartney’s description of Epstein; the group’s arranger, George Martin is also often referred to with that sobriquet), the film is being produced by Bruce Cohen (American Beauty) and scripted by Vivek J. Tiwary (Mel Brooks’ The Producers). Britain’s Guardian newspaper observed today that there have been two previous films about Epstein and the early days of the Beatles, but neither one, The Hours and Times and Backbeat, was able to obtain rights to use the Beatles’ music.