When “Back to the Future” first premiered in 1985, fans were obsessed. The sci-fi comedy was full of talented actors like Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Thomas F. Wilson. Fox gracefully handled the leading role of Marty McFly and Lloyd played Dr. Emmett Brown. Thompson played Lorraine Baines McFly and Wilson played Biff Tannen.
“Back to the Future” gave people living during the 80s a chance to envision what life would be like in the future. Even though plenty of predictions have officially been proven wrong at this point, the movie is still revered as a true classic. Based on its budget of $19 million, “Back to the Future” pulled in a whopping $388.8 million at the box office. It was a massive success for Universal Pictures as a production company. The topic of time travel will never get boring or redundant, which is why there have been so many time travel movies released since “Back to the Future” originally started paving the way.
“Back to the Future Part 2” hit theaters a few years later in 1989. In 1990, “Back to the Future Part 3″ was released as a way of continuing the captivating tale. Inside jokes from the franchise are used in scripts for modern TV shows and movies that tackle the complicated concept of time travel today. Recent movies that have taken notes from “Back to the Future” include “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” “Interstellar,” and “Looper.” Click here to read up on the best movies with time travel that will bend your mind.
To gather this list of 25 facts you didn’t already know about “Back to the Future,” 24/7 Tempo consulted several entertainment sources. These include IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, ScreenRant, MovieWeb, and Herald Weekly.
“Back to the Future” almost had a different name
One of the most iconic details about “Back to the Future” is the name. Interestingly enough, it was almost called “Spaceman From Pluto” instead. That would have been a mistake. An executive producer named Sidney Scheinberg was the man who had a problem with “Back to the Future” as the film’s name. Fortunately, he didn’t get his way. Steven Spielberg intervened to make sure the right name was selected.
Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis faced 40+ rejections with their original screenplay
The two brilliant men behind “Back to the Future’s” iconic screenplay were Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis. As strange as this sounds, they were rejected more than 40 times when presenting their screenplay to different studios. Nevertheless, they persevered until they finally got the green light to move forward with the project.
The idea for “Back to the Future” initially emerged in 1980
While it’s true that “Back to the Future” didn’t hit theaters until 1985, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis were creatively discussing ideas regarding the project in 1980. The idea turned into a script, which ultimately turned into a bock office gem. It took them five years to formulate a final result for the rest of the world to finally lay eyes on.
Steven Spielberg was an executive producer – not director
Steven Spielberg is one of the most famous movie directors in the world. A few of the movies he’s directed include “Jurassic Park,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Due to his extensive professional history, many people would assume Spielberg was the official director of “Back to the Future.” In reality, he was an executive producer on the project. Robert Zemeckis was the director.
Eric Stoltz was cast as Marty McFly first
The world is aware that Michael J. Fox ultimately snagged the role of Marty McFly, but it wasn’t that way from the very beginning. Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty in the first movie. He even spent several weeks filming scenes before the producers decided to recast him with Fox. The reason why? His dramatic method acting style wasn’t meshing well with his colleagues on set.
The CEO of the DeLorean car company loved “Back to the Future”
Since a DeLorean car was used as a time machine in “Back to the Future,” the CEO of the DeLorean car company was pleased and appreciative. John DeLorean wrote a letter of gratitude to Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis for “immortalizing” the DeLorean in the movie. He happily acknowledged the fact that people will forever recognize the vehicle.
“Romancing the Stone” had to succeed before “Back to the Future”
Robert Zemeckis was struggling as a director when he first started to get “Back to the Future” going. He knew he had to succeed as a director with another movie before he would be taken seriously in the Hollywood industry. He directed “Romancing the Stone” first in order to solidify his reputation before “Back to the Future.” The strategic business move worked for him because “Romancing the Stone” was a hit.
Michael J. Fox’s busy schedule with “Family Ties” almost got in the way
Eric Stoltz was cast as Marty McFly before Michael J. Fox because Fox was busy filming a sitcom that was eating up a lot of his time. The sitcom in question? “Family Ties.” Fox had already agreed to play Alex P. Keaton. Despite his busy schedule, he ultimately made time for “Back to the Future” by working on both projects at the same time.
The McFly family home is located in California
Have you ever been curious to know where the McFly family home is located in real life? The producers of “Back to the Future” used a residential home located in Arleta, Los Angeles as the perfect spot to film a bulk of scenes. As of now, it’s still possible for fans of the show to visit the home and admire it from the outside.
Christopher Lloyd originally rejected the role of Dr. Emmett Brown
Dr. Emmett Brown (affectionately referred to as Doc Brown in “Back to the Future) was iconically played by Christopher Lloyd. As weird as this might be to believe, Lloyd originally threw the script in the trash. He wasn’t even slightly interested until Robert Zemeckis convinced him to sign on.
Melora Hardin from “The Office” almost played Jennifer
Claudia Wells is the actress who plays Jennifer Parker in “Back to the Future.” For a brief time, Melora Hardin was the actress placed in the role. TV lovers now recognize her from her time playing Jan Levinson on “The Office.” Since Hardin was physically taller than Michael J. Fox, the actress was replaced with Wells.
DeLorean car sales soared through the roof after “Back to the Future” premiered
Plenty of car lovers wanted to get their hands on DeLorean cars after watching “Back to the Future.” Sales for DeLorean vehicles started soaring through the roof from fans who wanted to feel connected to the idea of time travel. As of today, DeLorean cars look a lot different than they once did – but they’re still available for purchase.
Scenes from “Back to the Future” are filmed on a back lot at Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios is located in the heart of Hollywood. It’s not surprising that several Hollywood movies come to life using back lots and sets built at Universal Studios each year. That happened to be the case for “Back to the Future” as well. Hill Valley Town Square and Clock Tower were both designed on back lots at Universal Studios.
The movie’s theatrical release posters were designed by Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan is a talented artist who came up with the creative design for the “Back to the Future” theatrical release poster. Some of the other jaw-dropping posters Struzan has created were for movies like “Blade Runner,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”
A simulator ride honoring “Back to the Future” opened in Florida
Universal Studios Florida is full of different attractions and rides for guests to explore. In 1991, a simulator ride in honor of “Back to the Future” was built for fans of the futuristic movie to enjoy. As of now, the ride isn’t still open. It officially closed down on March 30, 2007.
“Back to the Future” won one People’s Choice Award
In 1986, “Back to the Future” took home the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie. That was a big deal at the time because it was up against action-war flick “Rambo: First Blood Part II” and sports drama “Rocky IV.” According to voters, “Back to the Future” was the movie that deserved a win.
“Back to the Future” also won an Academy Award
As far as awards go, Academy Awards are some of the most noteworthy and respected. In 1986, “Back to the Future” took home one of those as well. It was the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing. That award was well-deserved since the futuristic noises from every scene were handled in such a spectacular manner.
Ben Stiller auditioned for the role of Marty McFly
The idea of seeing actor like Ben Stiller taking on the role of Marty McFly might be a bit odd to consider. Still, that’s exactly what almost happened back then. Stiller was interested in landing the role, but it didn’t work out in his favor. Years later, Stiller made his official film debut in an action comedy called “Hot Pursuit.”
John Cusack also auditioned for the role of Marty McFly
These days, John Cusack is known for incredible roles in movies like “Stand By Me,” “Being John Malkovich,” and “ Say Anything.” Back in the 80s, Cusack was beyond interested in snagging a chance to star in “Back to the Future.” Obviously, things didn’t go his way for that particular project. His career still moved in a positive direction, though.
Johnny Depp is another actor who auditioned for Marty McFly
Johnny Depp is one of the most famous actors of this generation. It’s unlikely anyone will forget his on screen charm from playing Captain John Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. As far as “Back to the Future” goes, Depp was certainly interested in playing Marty McFly back in the day. Just like the previously mentioned actors, the role simply wasn’t i the cards for Depp.
Huey Lewis was a song contributor who made a cameo appearance
Huey Lewis & the News was written to be Marty McFly‘s favorite band in “Back to the Future.” The producers knew they wanted Lewis to have a greater impact on the film, so they asked him to contribute several original songs. They also invited him to show up for a cameo appearance on screen. If you’re racking your brain for the moment Lewis showed up in the movie, it was during the Battle of the Bands competition.
An animated “Back to the Future” show premiered in 1991
Since “Back to the Future” was so beloved by audiences throughout the late 80s, an animated version of the movie premiered as a TV show in 1991. The sci-fi cartoon ran for two seasons with Christopher Lloyd as a leading voice actor in the lineup. Of course, he voiced Doc Brown for every episode of the show. The finale premiered in 1993, garnering a 6.4 rating out of 10 on IMDb.
Michael J. Fox never actually sang in the movie
Anyone who was convinced that Michael J. Fox was the one showcasing his vocal abilities on camera in “Back to the Future” is completely mistaken. A musician named Mark Campbell lent his singing talents to Fox for the movie. Without deeper analyzation, it’s hard to tell that it isn’t actually Fox belting out any melodic words.
Audiences almost saw a chimp in “Back to the Future”
In the original script for “Back to the Future,” Doc Brown had a pet champ named Shemp he’d always keep around. Instead of following through with that plan, the producers decided to cast a dog named Einstein instead. That’s because they researched and realized that films with chips rarely ever did well with audiences.
Crispin Glover had moral issues with the movie’s ending
Crispin Glover was not pleased with the ending of “Back to the Future.” He felt it sent a wrong message to audiences since the McFly family was rewarded with wealth and prosperity after time traveling. Due to his disdain, he refused to return for any of the sequels. Regardless of his presence, the franchise still thrived. Click here to uncover the 23 best time travel movies ever.