Happy Days! Why Ron Howard Will Make A Great Director Of The Beatles Documentary

Ron Howard is set to direct a new documentary focussing on The Beatles' journey from The Cavern Club in Liverpool to their final performance in San Francisco in 1966. The documentary will use archive footage and recent interviews to trace the astronomic rise of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon.

Ron Howard will direct the upcoming Beatles documentary.

The film is being produced by Howard's Imagine Entertainment in collaboration with Apple Corps and White House Pictures. In a statement, Howard said "I am excited and honored to be working with Apple and the White Horse team on this astounding story of these four young men who stormed the world in 1964. Their impact on popular culture and the human experience cannot be exaggerated."

Howard will be working alongside many of his former collaborators including his producing partner Brian Grazer, asVariety reports. With Grazer, Howard has produced such films as Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon, and A Beautiful Mind. The currently untitled Beatles film will also be produced by Nigel Sinclair of White Horse, who also turns out to be a huge fan of the band. Apple Corps are representing the interests of The Beatles.

In case you're second guessing the choice of Howard as director, here are the reasons why he's likely to be great:

The Beatles photographed in 1964.

He's spent more time in the 60s than The Beatles (sort of!)

Howard has spent an impressive amount of time in the 60s, not only was his formative years spent in the decade (Howard was born in 1954) but he also starred on the US series Happy Days for six years during the 1980s which was set in the mid 50s-mid 60s. It's safe to presume that Howard understands the impact of The Beatles on music and culture during the period the film will focus on.

His directorial ability cannot be doubted

Howard may have started his career as a child star but those days are long behind him and he's now turned his hand, successfully, to producing and directing. For A Beautiful Mind, Howard won two Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. Last year, Howard also turned his hand to a music documentary when he followed Jay-Z as he produced last year's Made in America Festival. Although the documentary received mixed reviews, it was not Howard's directorial technique which was criticised but Jay-Z's apparent promotion of his "brand" (Village Voice and Slant Magazine).

He's a huge Beatles fan

Howard has been a fan of The Beatles for most of his life, as Variety reports. Howard explained how he wanted to emulate them after he saw them perform on television in 1964. The Beautiful Mind director said, "After I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, all I wanted after that was a Beatles wig. My parents said no, but then they gave me one for my 10th birthday." He also described The Beatles as "unique", "exceptional" yet "relatable".

The upcoming Beatles documentary is due to be released by the end of 2015.

The Beatles made such an impact on popular culture, they have been immortalised as Lego.