Bob Gale wrote and produced all three “Back to the Future” movies with franchise co-creator Robert Zemeckis, but he’s not interested in reviving the time travel franchise for a fourth go-around. Gale appeared backstage at the Saturn Awards after receiving the George Pal Memorial Award (via Yahoo Entertainment) and was asked if “Back to the Future 4” will ever happen.
“People always say, ‘When are you going to do ‘Back to the Future 4’ and we say, ‘Fuck you,’” Gale responded, noting the franchise has already inspired a Broadway musical that will now tour the world and has plans for a stage production on Royal Caribbean Cruises. “So, my God, ‘Back to the Future,’ I’m going to be doing it for the rest of my life.”
While Gale is not interested in “Back to the Future 4,” he did reveal that he’s helping franchise star Michael J. Fox write a book about his experience making the trilogy. The book is titled “Future Boy,” but no other details were disclosed. The first “Back to the Future” movie will be celebrating its 40th anniversary later this year. The third and final “Future” film opened in 1990.
Franchise director Robert Zemeckis appeared on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast last fall and was asked if Universal Pictures begs him “every couple years” to make “Back to the Future 4.” He joked that the studio checks in “every six months,” which was “just an exaggeration.”
“You know, we have to say, ‘There are different things that might work.’ Something like that, you know? But to remake the movie or to suggest that there’s a ‘Back to the Future 4,’ it just isn’t in the cards,” Zemeckis added. “I would like to do the ‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ [movie]. I would love to do that. I think that would be great. I floated that out to the folks at Universal. They don’t get it. So, [there’s] nothing I can do.”
“Back to the Future: The Musical” opened on Broadway in August 2023 after a debut run in London’s West End, where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for best new musical in 2022. The show wrapped its Broadway run in January after over 500 performances and $80 million worth of tickets sold, according to producers.
As for “Back to the Future 4,” Michael J. Fox told Variety in 2023 that there’s no need for a fourth movie or for a reboot to exist, although he humorously added: “Do what you want. It’s your movie. I got paid already.”
“I don’t think it needs to be,” Fox added. “I think [Zemeckis has] 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.”
Fox’s co-star Christopher Lloyd, who played the mad scientist Emmett “Doc” Brown, has been more open to the idea of “Back to the Future 4,” once saying: “I would love to do a sequel, but I think Bob Zemeckis and [producer Steven] Spielberg felt that they told the story in the three episodes. But if somebody has a brilliant idea that would justify a fourth film it might happen.”
