Michael J. Fox, star of Back to the Future, reveals his feelings toward the possibility of a reboot. Back to the Future debuted in 1985. The film, about a teen encountering his younger parents after traveling 30 years into the past, quickly became a worldwide sensation and the highest-grossing film of the year. It spawned two sequels, Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III, which continued the story of Fox’s Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd’s Doc Brown. The films have stood the test of time, with Back to the Future regarded as a classic.
While speaking with Variety, Fox opens up about his feelings toward a potential Back to the Future reboot. While the actor ultimately says those with control over the project can do as they please, he’s quick to defend the film, pointing to the pitfalls it could encounter. With Back to the Future being such a beloved and unique film, Fox doubts that any reboot could capture the story it told. Check out Fox’s comments on a Back to the Future reboot below:
“I’m not fanatical. Do what you want. It’s your movie. I got paid already. … I don’t think it needs to be. I think Bob and Bob have been really smart about that. I don’t think it needs rebooting because are you going to clarify something? You’re going to find a better way to tell the story? I doubt it.”
Why Michael J. Fox Is Right About Back To The Future
Back to the Future has persisted for almost 40 years, continuing to entertain new generations as it lives on as a classic. It has been adapted into a TV series, video games, comics, and even a stage musical. Still, as remakes have garnered popularity, Back to the Future has been a holdout, with many adamant that it not be rebooted.
Nostalgia has become a profitable business for cinemas, as an industry that often relies on sequels has also seen that old IP can be new again. While this strategy can see success like J.J. Abrams’ rebooted Star Trek films or Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven series, it can also lead to lackluster results, like Tom Cruise’s The Mummy or 2016’s Ghostbusters. Still, as Fox points out, these reboots can live and die by the story they tell, which audiences already know, presenting Back to the Future‘s challenge.
A reboot working from known material presents a problem, which Fox addresses, in that one needs to tell the same story in a new yet still compelling way. Back to the Future presents some bizarre challenges, as a reboot would likely change the time period and even likely change story elements, like Marty’s mom being attracted to him. While the time period could be purely aesthetic, changing story elements for a modern generation might be less well-received. Back to the Future may one day find itself the subject of a reboot, but there are currently no plans to do so, leaving the classic to live on untouched.
Source: Variety
