'Yellow Submarine' to Arrive in Theaters for Its 50th Anniversary

Fifty years ago, colorful, mustachioed cartoon versions of the Beatles traipsed across the surreal world of Pepperland to defeat the Blue Meanies in the film “Yellow Submarine.” The movie will return to theaters across the United States, Britain and Ireland this summer to celebrate its anniversary.

The movie’s psychedelic landscapes have been restored in 4K digital resolution; the animation was cleaned up by hand, frame by frame, rather than through automated digital software. The audio, which features Beatles songs such as “A Day in the Life” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” was remixed in 5.1 stereo sound at Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles recorded most of their work.

The film was directed by animation producer George Dunning and follows the band on a winding trek through locations real (Liverpool, England) and absurd (the Sea of Holes). While the Fab Four were voiced by impersonators in the film, they appear briefly in person in the last scene.

The film was memorably parodied in “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”

Specific movie locations have yet to be announced. Tickets will go on sale April 17 at yellowsubmarine.film.