WELLINGTON (AFP) - Beatles fans can now twist and shout. Acclaimed Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson has said he is working on a documentary detailing the making of The Beatles' classic album Let It Be 50 years ago.

The film is based on 55 hours of never-before-seen footage and 140 hours of audio from the Fab Four's recording sessions.

Jackson said it provided an unprecedented insight into the band's creative process and the members' interactions in the studio.

"It's like a time machine transports us back to 1969 and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together."

Let It Be was recorded in January 1969 but not released until May the following year after The Beatles put out Abbey Road and subsequently split, making it the final album the band released.

The footage was originally shot for a television special that never materialised.

Fans have long believed the album's creation was marred by infighting that tore the band apart but Jackson said that was a myth.

He added: "Watching John, Paul, George, and Ringo work together, creating now-classic songs from scratch, is not only fascinating - it's also funny, uplifting and surprisingly intimate."

The Beatles film is being made with the cooperation of surviving band members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as the families of George Harrison and John Lennon.

A release date has not been finalised.