Mary McCartney to direct a documentary about Abbey Road Studios

About

On this day, it was announced that Mary McCartney was directing a documentary about Abbey Road Studios. The documentary premiered in September 2022 at Telluride Film Festival and was released on the Disney+ streaming service in December 2022.

From Abbey Road Studios, January 12, 2021:

Mercury Studios, the music-first content studio from Universal Music Group, has announced If These Walls Could Sing, the untold story of the world-famous Abbey Road Studios, directed by celebrated British photographer and filmmaker Mary McCartney. The feature-length documentary will be produced by Academy Award®, BAFTA and Prime Time Emmy Award-winner John Battsek following a new development deal between Mercury Studios and Battsek’s Ventureland. Development of the documentary has been overseen and will be executive produced by Universal Music UK’s Marc Robinson and Mercury Studios CEO, Alice Webb.

Mary McCartney brings a unique and personal perspective on the history of Abbey Road. She says, “Some of my earliest memories as a young child come from time spent at Abbey Road. I’ve long wanted to tell the story of this historic place and I couldn’t be collaborating with a better team than John and Mercury Studios to make this creative ambition a reality.”

Alice Webb says, “Mercury Studios could not be partnering with a more visionary and passionate team than Mary McCartney and John Battsek to tell Abbey Road Studios’ incredible story on film for the first time. We are passionate about showcasing work of pioneering film makers of the highest quality – which is why we are delighted Mary is bringing her creative vision to this project.”

Isabel Garvey, Managing Director of Abbey Road Studios, said, “If these walls could sing. I have lost count how many times I’ve heard that said at Abbey Road Studios over the years. I can’t wait for some of these stories to finally come to life in what will become a timeless documentary.”

If These Walls Could Sing marks the first time Abbey Road has opened its doors to a feature length documentary and will be the centrepiece of the legendary recording studios’ 90th anniversary celebrations which begin in November this year. It will tell countless stories featuring an all-star cast of interviews, unparalleled access to the studios and, of course, a spellbinding soundtrack.

About Mercury Studios:

Mercury Studios is a multi-faceted music content studio, established to develop, produce, globally distribute and invest in innovative, music-rooted storytelling across a range of media including film, television, podcasting, publishing and live-streamed performance. Mercury Studios creates an open space for experimentation to unleash and amplify both emerging and established artists.

Led by CEO Alice Webb and with offices in London and Los Angeles, Mercury Studios harnesses its established relationships with best-in-class talent from music and film, seamlessly bridging the two worlds to create a completely distinctive community of trailblazers driven by original IP, innovation and collaboration.

Taking its name from the iconic Mercury Records label, Mercury Studios is built on the foundations of world-leading producer and distributor Eagle Rock Entertainment and powered by Universal Music Group.

About Ventureland:

Ventureland is a creative studio dedicated to making standout documentaries, feature films and television.

Led by executive producers Kerstin Emhoff, Ali Brown and multi-award winning producer John Battsek (Academy Award-winning Searching For Sugar Man and One Day in September, BAFTA Award-winning Hillsborough and The Imposter, Primetime Emmy Award-winning Manhunt and The Tillman Story, Peabody Award-winning Listen to Me Marlon and Grammy Nominated Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars). With the team’s shared experience of producing high-profile and award-winning work alongside the world’s top filmmakers and studios, Ventureland is at the crossroads of art, creativity, and social impact.

Most recently Ventureland has produced BIFA and Critics Circle Nominated Rising Phoenix (Netflix); Ready For War (Showtime); AKA Jane Roe (FX); The Life & Trials of Oscar Pistorius (ESPN); American Rapstar (SXSW ’20); Til Kingdom Come (DOCNYC) and Kirby Jenner (Quibi).

Last updated on November 21, 2022