The debate surrounding the possibility of another Back to the Future movie continues. But this time, it sounds like a fourth installment in the beloved franchise might actually happen.
Back to the Future is one of the most iconic movie franchises of all time. The three films are also collectively considered to be one of the best movie trilogies ever, surpassing Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. For many, the Back to the Future trilogy is even considered superior to George Lucas’ Star Wars.
Directed/written by Robert Zemeckis and produced/written by Bob Gale, the three films center on wide-eyed teen Marty McFly (Michael J Fox), who embarks on a time-traveling adventure with Doc Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) in a DeLorean; visiting 1955 when his parents were teenagers, an outlandishly futuristic 2015, and the Old West in 1885.
But while the three films have been followed by lots of tie-in media over the years, such as the Back to the Future animated series (1991–1991), “Back to the Future: The Video Game” (2010), IDW Publishing’s “Back to the Future” comic book series, and, more recently, Back to the Future: The Musical, a fourth film seems as impossible as time travel itself.
Zemeckis and Gale have repeatedly condemned the idea of a fourth film, whether it’s a sequel, prequel, or reboot, with Gale even likening the idea to “selling your kids into prostitution.” As for the films’ leads, while Michael J Fox doesn’t seem fussed either way, telling Variety last year, “Do what you want, it’s your movie–I got paid already,” Lloyd told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 that he “would love to do Doc again, no question.”
However, both actors agree that a female-led reboot could work.
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But while Zemeckis reiterates in a new interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast that Back to the Future Part 4 will never happen, saying “it just isn’t in the cards” despite Universal Pictures approaching him about it on occasion, he goes on to say that he’d love to see a reboot of the original film in the form of a big-screen adaptation of the West End stage play Back to the Future: The Musical.
When asked about potential future projects, the director says, “I would like to do Back to the Future: The Musical. I would love to do that. I think that would be great.” The musical, which Zemeckis describes as “more of a companion to the movies than a remake,” is already an adaptation of the 1985 film (with plenty of infectious songs thrown in for good measure).
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Back to the Future: The Musical first appeared on the stage in Manchester, UK in 2020. Since then, it has exploded onto the West End and Broadway, and is now also undertaking a North American tour. Winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2022, the stage play has been widely praised by audiences and critics over the past four years.
However, Back to the Future: The Musical: The Movie sounds like a Back to the Future project the studio isn’t keen on developing. “I floated that out to the folks at Universal,” Zemeckis admits. “They don’t get it.” Whether or not this is good thing or a bad thing, we’ll probably never know, but who knows–perhaps Universal will eventually give in.
Watch the full interview between Robert Zemeckis and Josh Horrowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast below:
Back to the Future: The Musical is currently playing in the West End, on Broadway, and at select locations in North America. Next year, it will be heading to Tokyo, Japan. The show is also expected to continue with its London performances until July next year.
For more information about Back to the Future: The Musical, visit the official website.
Would you like to see another Back to the Future movie? Let us know in the comments down below!
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