Norwegian Film Secures Rights to Use BEATLES Music

BEATLES, one of Lars Saabye Christensen's most defining works, is now finally to make the transition to the silver screen. The film has been in the planning for several years, and can now be realised, after a long process of securing the music rights. The production company Storm Rosenberg has signed a deal that gives them the right to use the original recordings.

Proud and honoured
"It is a very decisive deal for us," said Norwegian producer Jørgen Storm Rosenberg, of Norway's Storm Rosenberg production outfit, having secured a string of The Beatles' original recordings for his upcoming adaptation of Norwegian author Lars Saabye Christensen's novel, Beatles, which will be realised by Kon-Tikidirectors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning.

Several original recordings
The agreement entails that several of The Beatles' original recordings can be used in their entirety in the film.
- We are very happy and proud to have contributed towards realising this book adaptation, says Anette Hökengren, Director Film & TV at Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
-This is amazing. We hope the original music will help the film makers visualize the scenes from the book, says Stefan Blom, Chairman & President EMI Music Nordics

Prerequisite to have the rights
Saabye Christensen's 1984 breakthrough - one of the all-time best-selling books in Norway and sold to 16 countries - follows four 1960s' teenagers about to enter the grown-up world, their boyish tricks, hopes and disappointments, falling in love, despair ... still no group is better than The Beatles. The Oscar nominated Kon-Tiki directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg will bring it to the screen from a script by Axel Hellstenius (who, among others, adapted Elling).

"It was a prerequisite from the Norwegian Film Institute to support the film that the producers could get the rights for the music," added managing director development and production Ivar Køhn. The Norwegian Film Institute has chipped in NOK 16,3 million (2,15 million Euros) for the project NOK 50 million (6,6 million Euros) project.

Release February 14, 2014
The film goes into production in June and will release domestically on February 14th, 2014, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the novel. Previous films from the author's books include Erik Gustavson's Herman (1990), Marius Holst's Cross My Heart and Hope to Die (Ti kniver i hjertet/1994), and most recently, Norwegian pubcaster NRK's TV series The Half Brother (Halvbroren/2012).

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