Sir Paul McCartney will feature in documentary about his stolen guitar

Sir Paul McCartney is to feature in a new documentary which unravels the mystery of his missing guitar.

The Beatles legend was left devastated after the 1961 Hofner 500/1 bass guitar - used in the creation of many of the bands' hits - was stolen from the back of a van in London in October 1972 and in 2018, a major international search was launched for the missing instrument called The Lost Bass Project.

McCartney was reunited with the instrument in 2024 and he's now involved in making a film about the drama called The Beatle and the Bass. He said in a statement: "I think anything that’s nicked, you want back, especially if it has sentimental value.

"It just went off into the universe and it left us thinking, where did it go? There must be an answer ... "

The Beatles legend will appear in the documentary, which will be directed by Arthur Cary and charts the story of the guitar and its disappearance as well as the campaign to get it back to is rightful owner.

Emily Jeal, Passion Pictures’ head of feature documentaries, told Variety: "From its beginnings, we knew The Beatle and the Bass was exactly the kind of distinctive, emotional and uplifting story that we love to tell.

"Working with Arthur Cary and BBC Arena to bring the unforgettable story of Paul McCartney’s lost bass to the screen is a true privilege."

The Beatle and the Bass will also feature McCartney’s brother Mike, his friend Klaus Voormann and musician Elvis Costello as well as fans and experts who worked on The Lost Bass Project.

After the instrument was found, McCartney shared the happy news in a statement posted on his website which read: "Following the launch of ... [The] Lost Bass Project, Paul’s 1961 Hofner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned.

"The guitar has been authenticated by Hofner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved."

A message posted on The Lost Bass Project's website revealed the instrument needed some repairs but was in mostly good condition.

The statement explained: "Finally, after so much searching and investigation, we have Paul’s Lost Bass back with him. Can you imagine how excited Paul was when he heard the news!

"The bass is complete and still with its original case. It will need some repairs to make it playable again, but a team of professionals can easily carry these out."

The message explained the searchers had uncovered information about the theft, discovering the identity of the person who had stolen the guitar and then sold it to a pub landlord.

The instrument's journey was then traced over the years until finally "someone living in a terraced house on the south coast of England" remembered they had an old bass guitar stored in their attic and realised its significance.

The statement added: "They got this out and realised just what they had. Within days it was back with Paul McCartney!"