Back to the Future

***Back to the Future*** is a 1985 American science fiction comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis. Written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, it stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, Fox portrays Marty McFly, a teenager accidentally sent back to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean automobile built by his eccentric scientist friend Doctor Emmett "Doc" Brown. Trapped in the past, Marty inadvertently prevents his future parents' meeting—threatening his very existence—and is forced to reconcile the pair and somehow get back to the future.

The outline of *Back to the Future* originated in 1980 after Gale found his father's school yearbook; he wondered if he and his father would have been friends as youths. Gale and Zemeckis realized that time travel could answer the question. Desperate for a successful film after numerous collaborative failures, they pitched their script, but over 40 studios rejected it. It was not considered raunchy enough to compete with the successful comedies of the era. Following his success directing *Romancing the Stone* (1984), Zemeckis secured a development deal at Amblin Entertainment for *Back to the Future*. Fox was the first choice to portray Marty, but his working schedule prevented his involvement; Eric Stoltz was cast instead. Shortly after commencing principal photography in November 1984, Zemeckis determined that Stoltz was not right for the part and made the concessions necessary to hire Fox. This included re-filming scenes already shot with Stoltz and adding $4 million to the budget. *Back to the Future* was filmed in and around California and on sets at Universal Studios.

Re-casting Stoltz delayed production and pushed back the film's release date. Following highly successful test screenings, the date was moved forward to July 3, 1985, to give *Back to the Future* more time in theaters. This resulted in a limited post-production schedule for editing and special effects; some effects were incomplete on release. *Back to the Future* was a critical and commercial success, earning $381.1 million to become the highest-grossing film of 1985 worldwide. Critics praised the story, comedy, and the cast—particularly Fox, Lloyd, Thompson, and Glover. It received multiple award nominations and won an Academy Award, Saturn Awards, and a Hugo Award. Its theme song, "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News was a significant success globally, and also earned an Academy Award nomination.

In the years since its release, *Back to the Future* has grown in esteem and is now considered to be among the greatest films of the 1980s, one of the best science-fiction films ever made, and one of the greatest films of all time. In 2007, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Two less-successful sequels, *Back to the Future Part II* (1989) and *Back to the Future Part III* (1990) followed *Back to the Future*. With its effect on popular culture and a dedicated fan following, the success of *Back to the Future* launched a multimedia franchise. This includes an animated TV series, video games, comic books, board games, clothing, music, books, food, toys, collectibles, and theme park rides. Its enduring popularity has led to numerous books about its production, documentaries, and commercials. *Back to the Future* has been adapted into a 2020 stage musical. Despite interest from studios and fans, Gale and Zemeckis have affirmed they will not make another sequel as they consider the series concluded.