At an exclusive Soho screening attended by rock icons like Noel Gallagher and Sharon Osbourne, Paul McCartney shared his candid reflections on a new documentary chronicling his post-Beatles transition.

Describing the two-hour feature as a “madcap” and occasionally “overwhelming” experience, Paul nevertheless emerged from the viewing with a sense of peace. The film, directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville, captures the turbulent period following the collapse of the Fab Four and the subsequent rise of Wings.

Among the audience was actor Paul Mescal, currently preparing to portray a younger McCartney in an upcoming four-part biopic. While Mescal observed from the sidelines, Neville’s documentary dives deep into the “what next?” phase of McCartney’s career, illustrating how he swapped global superstardom for a gritty, experimental restart at a remote farmhouse.

Fueled by intimate, never-before-seen footage captured by his late wife, Linda, the film paints a joyous yet raw portrait of a man rebuilding his musical legacy alongside the great love of his life.

‘Next to a presidential library, Paul McCartney has the best personal archives,’ Neville was told of his subject before they set to work. “It also helped that Paul married a photographer because Linda takes pictures of everything and there are so many home movies too,” the grateful filmmaker says at a Q+A following the screening. “I thought I lost it all,” Paul says. “You know this was the 60s and 70s, you’d have a lot of break ins, you didn’t really bother locking your door too much.

Fans would come in and nick a load of stuff. It was how it was. I kind of automatically just thought it’s all gone, but the kids at my office were fantastic. They looked in every little storage unit and every little drawer and they found it all and logged it. There’s amazing stuff there.”

“Seeing me and Linda interacting is very special because you know she’s not here anymore. It’s me and Linda, the kids. The music. Me and John. These memories it’s like a life flashing in front of you. There are so many cool things. All the stuff with the kids and Linda is lovely to see. Obviously it’s emotional because she looks so beautiful. She’s so cool.”

Daughter Stella who is in the theatre gives an approving cheer from her seat. “So that comes over,” notes Paul. “You know and the kids aren’t little anymore and they have kids of their own now.”

“What am I doing singing with Paul McCartney?” Linda asks in the early home footage, admitting she can’t sing and could play only one note on the keyboard. “It’s a start,” Paul replies.

As Paul initiated the legal process to formally dissolve the Beatles’ partnership, he released Ram, an album that was met with a lukewarm and largely critical reception. Refusing to be discouraged, he shifted his focus toward assembling a full band, inviting his longtime friend and former Moody Blues member Denny Laine to join forces with him and Linda. This core trio eventually expanded into a larger ensemble known as Wings, diving into experimental recording sessions and embarking on a tour of modest, intimate venues—a stark and humble departure from the massive stadiums Paul had grown accustomed to as a global superstar.

“We’d show up at universities, not bother to book hotels, just take the kids and dogs in a van and for some reason we thought that was a great idea,” says Paul.

Despite his initial passion, the project struggled to gain traction as both audiences and critics dismissed the group as a failure.

After an early mauling from the industry who had once revered him, it was a slow road to success before Wings’ live shows developed into must-see tours and they produced some of the biggest selling singles and albums of the decade, including number one hit Mull Of Kintyre, Jet, Silly Love Songs and Live And Let Die, the theme to the 1973 James Bond film of the same title.

Paul said Linda’s responses to his boundless energy continues to inspire him today. “Anything crazy I would say, ‘Should I do that? Could I do that?’ And she’d say ‘Yeah, it’s allowed!’ It’s a great philosophy to have.”

The film is not just a family portrait, but also an insight into Paul’s complicated relationship with John Lennon. Paul admits he felt he was punished most for the demise of the band and even bought into the blame himself. “I thought that’s the kind of bast**d I am, it leaves you in this kind of no man’s land, but the truth, John had come in one day and said he was leaving The Beatles, he said, ‘it’s kind of exciting, it’s like telling someone you want a divorce’.”

The film also sees Paul reflect on John’s ‘diss track’ about him following their break-up, How Do You Sleep?, which featured on 1971’s Imagine album with the Plastic Ono Band.

“The only thing you did was Yesterday (one of the song’s lyrics), was apparently (former Beatles manager) Allen Klein’s suggestion, but (at) the back of my mind I was thinking, ‘but all I ever did was Yesterday, Let It Be, The Long And Winding Road, Eleanor Rigby, Lady Madonna, f*** you, John,” says Paul. “How do I sleep at night? Well, actually, quite well, but you’ve got to remember, I’d known John since he was a teenager, and that’s kind of what I loved about John. He’s a crazy son of a bitch, he’s a lovely, lovely, crazy guy.”

McCartney reflects that being able to mend his relationship with Lennon prior to his tragic passing in December 1980 remains one of his most cherished gifts. Their children still hold fond memories of the final time both families gathered at John’s New York City apartment, describing the occasion as a heartwarming and unified get-together.

Stella and her sister Mary also vividly remember the harrowing moment their father received the news that his best friend had passed away. Stella describes hearing a sudden surge of turmoil before witnessing Paul bolt from their house, heading out into the isolation of the farm by himself. The documentary features the well-known footage of Paul’s seemingly dismissive “Drag, isn’t it?” public reaction to John’s death; however, Sean Ono Lennon defends the remark, explaining it was born out of profound shock and heartbreak—a sharp contrast to the man he knew.

Looking back on this era of his life, preserved through a treasure trove of archival film, photographs, and audio tapes, Paul remarks: “It’s a heck of a story. It would be nice if people took away the fact that in my craziness and my enthusiasm, we stuck with it and we made it work. There’s something brave about that. It didn’t have to work out, you know, but it did.”

Following the London premiere, two musicians who intimately understand the pressure of launching solo careers after leaving iconic British bands offered their immediate impressions. Speaking to the Mirror after the credits rolled, Paul Weller praised the documentary as “fantastic,” noting how wonderful it was to see the early 1970s brought to life so vividly on screen. Noel Gallagher, a devoted lifelong fan of the Fab Four, simply described the project as “amazing” as the house lights came up.

Sharon Osbourne, who was seen posing for photographs with McCartney earlier in the evening, admitted she was moved to tears on several occasions. Reflecting on the “incredible” and “deeply emotional” experience, she highlighted the intimate family scenes involving Linda as particularly beautiful, even hinting that she could envision her late husband Ozzy’s life being portrayed in a similar cinematic fashion one day.

(Photos: Prime Video)