By Daniel O鈥橞rien Israel Becomes Muay
It has now been four decades since Marty McFly first hit 88 miles per hour in a time-travelling DeLorean. Robert Zemeckis鈥 sci-fi adventure blockbuster didn鈥檛 just navigate the space-time continuum on screen (thanks to the flux capacitor). It also found a lasting place in the hearts of its audience.
Personally, I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever heard anyone speak badly about the Back to the Future trilogy (aside from certain cast members, which I鈥檒l touch on later). It has thankfully avoided the common traps of remakes and the sprawling expanded universe trend, which has diluted so many other beloved franchises (yes, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and The Lord of the Rings, I鈥檓 talking to you).
Naturally, the success of Back to the Future has inspired a range of adaptations, including a computer game, an immersive Secret Cinema event, as well as a more recent West End stage musical. But each version stays true to the spirit of the original, reinforcing what feels like an unspoken rule in Hollywood: Back to the Future is off-limits to a cinematic or televised remake.
Zemeckis and Bob Gale, who co-wrote the screenplay for all three films, have repeatedly shut down the idea of a fourth instalment, declaring that the trilogy is complete. In fact, aside from a few delightful Back to the Future references in other shows made by the original stars themselves, the only remake you鈥檙e likely to come across is BBTF Project 85. It鈥檚 a multi-fan-made, shot-for-shot collaboration and true labour of love, created not for profit but out of pure admiration for the original.
Back to the Future at 40: the trilogy has never been remade 鈥 let鈥檚 hope that doesn鈥檛 change
The success of the Back to the Future trilogy can be attributed to several factors, not least the undeniable charisma and chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. The wholesome, inter-generational friendship of their characters is never explicitly explained, but also doesn鈥檛 need to be. It simply works.
The dynamic between Doc and Marty captures a timeless, heartfelt bond between two generations who respect and learn from each other, much like the relationship between Daniel LaRusso and Mr Miyagi in The Karate Kid (another trilogy that has since found itself in the rebooted camp).
Michael J. Fox was the original choice for Marty McFly but, due to scheduling conflicts with his role on the sitcom Family Ties, production began with Eric Stoltz in the role. Over half the film was shot before Zemeckis made the difficult decision to recast.
As Stoltz later said in an interview, the change came because he 鈥渨asn鈥檛 giving the performance [Zemeckis] wanted for his film.鈥 Stoltz, a talented performer, brought a darker, moodier and more intense interpretation to Marty, a version that was replaced by Fox鈥檚 lighter, more comedic approach, channelled through his effortless charm.
Stoltz wasn鈥檛 the only cast member to leave Back to the Future with a sense of disappointment. Crispin Glover, who played George McFly, also famously fell out with Zemeckis and Gale over creative differences 鈥 one of which was Glover鈥檚 objection to the film鈥檚 ending that presented Marty鈥檚 family being financially wealthier in comparison to the start.
Glover felt this idea sent a negative message of money equating to happiness. This artistic clash (and, ironically, dispute over salary) ultimately led to him being recast in Back to the Future Parts II and III, with actor Jeffrey Weissman stepping in.
In the sequels, Weissman wears a facial prosthetic designed from Glover鈥檚 likeness from the first film (where George is made to look older). This enraged Glover further, who responded by filing a lawsuit, arguing that the use of his image without consent was illegal.
He has since been openly critical of Weissman鈥檚 鈥渂ad performance鈥 and has expressed ongoing frustration that many viewers still mistakenly assume the 鈥渂ad acting鈥 to be his own. As he notes, this explicitly contrasts with the more obvious recasting of Jennifer Parker (Marty鈥檚 girlfriend) performed by Claudia Wells in the first film and later replaced by Elisabeth Shue in the sequels.
The recasting reflects the first film鈥檚 unexpected success. Back to the Future was never intended to have a sequel, but the overwhelming popularity of the original prompted the rapid development of two back-to-back follow-ups, released in 1989 and 1990.
Once again, the film鈥檚 success can be credited to the electric chemistry between its leads and the unforgettable music, from Huey Lewis鈥 鈥楶ower of Love鈥 to Chuck Berry鈥檚 鈥渘ew sound鈥 in 鈥楯ohnny B. Goode鈥, and Alan Silvestri鈥檚 hauntingly triumphant score. Silvestri鈥檚 music seems to capture the spirit of wide-eyed adventure, nostalgia and wisdom all at once, like a journey through time, composed entirely for the ears, affording the trilogy a sense of timelessness.
Back to printed media
Another charm of the Back to the Future trilogy (which stood out to me in a more recent viewing) lies in its use of printed media, which inspired me to create my video essay, Back to Printed Media.
As indicated in the video, Back to the Future begins with the sound and image of clocks before panning to a framed newspaper article, a fitting introduction to how all three instalments use print to convey plot, emotion and shifts across timelines.
Beyond newspapers, the trilogy gives prominence to photographs, handwritten letters, phone books, a sports almanac, transparent receipts of the future, and even printed faxes (in the future of 2015). This tactile world of ink and paper evokes a deep nostalgia, underscoring the emotional weight of physical communication, something that has steadily faded with the rise of digital screens and indeed the loss of physical touch.
Doc even comments in the third instalment (when reading a letter from his future self) that he never knew he could write anything so touching.
In an era where glowing rectangles dominate both our lives and our storytelling, Back to the Future offers a refreshing contrast. It reminds us of the human connection and the need to be with others, packaged in a blockbuster narrative about one of the most universal cinematic themes: finding your way back home.
As a trilogy, Back to the Future has stood the test of time for four decades, and I鈥檓 confident it will continue to resonate with both new and nostalgic audiences well into the future.
The writer is a lecturer at the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies at the University of Essex in the UK
Republished from The Conversation
Published in Dawn, ICON, July 6th, 2025