Julie Taymor’s much anticipated musical Across the Universe screens at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday, September 10th. 

Anyone who’s seen what Taymor can do with Shakespeare (Titus) or Frida Kahlo (Frida) or hell, Disney (The Lion King) as an inspiration will be dying to get a look at what she’s accomplished in this tale of “love, cultural revolution, protest, freedom and art” set in late 1960s New York City.

Taymor caused something of a stir during production when she repainted (well, probably not her personally, but maybe) large swaths of New York’s already reasonably colorful Lower East Side.

The film opens on September 14th, and the soundtrack hits the stores four days later, with Beatles songs interpreted by cast members Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Eddie Izzard, Bono, Joe Cocker and others. 

Hearing the cover versions might just make you long for the original recordings, though.  Rumors have been flying for ages, but it looks as though a deal has finally been worked out between Apple Corp. and Apple Inc. to sell Beatles music at the iTunes store. The announcement could come in just a few days, at a September 5th Apple “special event.”