Ron Howard is to direct an authorised documentary on the Beatles, charting the band from its formative years in Liverpool through to the peak of their popularity in mid-1960s America. Variety reports that the as-yet-untitled production will include as many as 20 Beatles songs and feature contributions from surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison.

The project looks set to be a labour of love for Howard, who recalls first watching the band on US TV as a child. "After I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, all I wanted after that was a Beatles wig," he said. "My parents said no, but then they gave me one for my 10th birthday."

Howard's documentary will blend archive footage with contemporary interviews to trace the Beatles' journey from the Cavern club, via a stint in Hamburg, through to their final concert in San Francisco's Candlestick Park in 1966. The film is to be produced by the director's Imagine Entertainment production house, with support from Apple Corps and White House Pictures, and has been pencilled in for a release at the end of 2015.

“I am excited and honoured to be working with Apple and the White Horse team on this astounding story of these four young men who stormed the world in 1964,” the director said in a statement. “Their impact on popular culture and the human experience cannot be exaggerated.”

Howard started out as wholesome American child star, acting on TV in The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, before branching into film-making. His subsequent credits include Splash, Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code and the Formula One drama Rush. He won the 2002 best director Oscar for A Beautiful Mind.

• 30 Minutes With … Ron Howard