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Studios have circled Thanksgiving in red on their calendars for years now, saving some of their biggest releases to take advantage of the long weekend. While many may be busy planning their menus, figuring out travel schedules, or bracing for that one relative’s questionable opinions, there’s another part of the holiday tradition we can’t ignore, movies.

Dwayne Johnson returns as demigod Maui in Moana 2 | Disney

With five days to fill, families and friends have flocked to theaters to laugh, cry, or cheer together. And in the spirit of that tradition, we are ranking the top 20 Thanksgiving weekend movies based on their gross earnings.

20. Knives Out (2019)

A Thanksgiving murder mystery that’s as sharp as its title, Knives Out was an absolute treat. Directed by Rian Johnson, this film doubles as a sharp critique of class and privilege in modern America. The story begins with the death of Harlan Thrombey,...

Fans of "The Boys" may have wondered why Madelyn Stillwell, the scheming Vought VP who forges a dangerous, intimate alliance with Homelander in season 1, seemed so familiar. The reason is that there's a very good chance they've seen the actress Elizabeth Shue in a previous film or movie. Shue isn't quite a household name, but her number of minor roles stretches back all the way to the '80s, when she was starring in Burger King ads alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar.

One of her biggest roles was as Marty's girlfriend Jennifer in the "Back to the Future" trilogy, although she didn't play Jennifer for all of it. The first film had Claudia Wells in the role; it makes for a jarring experience when binge-watching the movies today, as the second movie starts off with a recreation of the first film's final scene, except we're watching a different version of Jennifer with no explanation given.

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For Hollywood stars, hearing that a project "went another direction" with casting choices isn't a rare occurrence. Sometimes an actor just isn't the one filmmakers are searching for -- but it's always better when they're told this before the cameras start rolling. Over the years, plenty of projects have ground to a halt because one of its core players just aren't clicking with what's on the page, resulting to an alternative choice taking over.

There are also times, however, when a passing comment or a personal blunder can lead to someone being ejected without question. It not only changes the trajectory of the project, but can also lead another actor ending up with a thriving future that could've been someone else's. Here's a list of box office break-ups that could've resulted in a very different film, leaving the original choice...

You can be assured of one thing: there will never be an unnecessary Back To The Future sequel beyond the three films that exist, so long as writer Bob Gale and director Robert Zemeckis are alive. They will not allow it! However, in Zemeckis’ case, he has a weird exception. The director was recently interviewed on something called the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, where he admitted Universal bugs him all the time about Back To The Future 4. At first he claimed the calls came “every six months,” then said that was am exaggeration (though probably not by much). “You know, we have to say, ‘There are different things that might work,’” Zemeckis said. “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.” However, there’s a musical based on the first...

Robert Zemeckis, the director and co-creator of Back to the Future, is shutting down the idea of remaking or creating a sequel to the franchise.

In a new interview, the filmmaker revealed that he would only revisit the world he co-created with Bob Gale if he created a movie musical.

“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 said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

Zemeckis said Universal has asked him if he was open to revisiting the Back to the Future universe, joking that the studio does it “every six months.”

“I would like to do Back to the Future: The Musical,” Zemeckis said. “Just like [Mel Brooks] did with The Producers. I would love to do that.

Robert Zemeckis wants to bring Back To The Future: The Musical to cinemas. Universal? Not so keen.

Currently playing in London’s West End – with a trip to Broadway on the horizon – is the stage musical of the mighty Back To The Future. The original 1985 movie, penned by Bob Gale and directed by Robert Zemeckis (who also co-wrote), has undergone narrative changes for its stage version. It’s no longer plutonium stolen from Libyans, for instance, and that affects the threat to Doc Brown. We won’t go through all the changes beyond that. Just that it’s a 1985 tale adapted to fit into the 2020s, with a bunch of songs at key moments.

Robert Zemeckis is currently on the publicity tour for his new movie, Here, and the topic of the Back To The Future musical did indeed come up. Namely, the idea of him directing a movie version of it.

Today's contender for least surprising news is that Universal is still begging Robert Zemeckis for another Back To The Future, despite the fact that he's on record that it won't happen until he and co-writer Bob Gale are dead. But in a Hollywood thirsty for "established IP," the studio can't...

Robert Zemeckis pitched a ‘Back to the Future’ musical movie to Universal Pictures, but the studio wasn't interested.The 72-year-old director helmed the franchise from its 1985 debut to its conclusion five years later, and has now revealed he considered revisiting the series to make a musical version of the first film, though Universal has since shot that idea down.During an appearance on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, Zemeckis said: “I would like to do the ‘Back to the Future: The Musical' [movie]. I would love to do that. 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.”While the ‘Forrest Gump’ filmmaker toyed with the idea of making a musical, Zemeckis reiterated this would be the only way he would make another ‘Back to the Future’ flick.When host Josh Horowitz asked whether a direct sequel was possible,...

A film adaptation of a Broadway musical of a major motion picture? Great Scott! It’s been done before but Robert Zemeckis would really love bringing Back to the Future to the screen — again, this time as a cinematic take on the hit musical. But will he ever get the chance?

While his latest movie Here flounders at the box office, Robert Zemeckis is on the promotional circuit also highlighting some of his greatest hits, including one of his biggest money makers, 1985’s Back to the Future. As far as his plans, inspiration and its status, he noted, “I would like to do the Back to the Future, the musical. Just like [Mel] Brooks did The Producers. 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, nothing I can do.”

The Back to the Future...

Thought may be the most powerful force in the space-time continuum. As Doctor Emmett L. Brown says in "Back to the Future," the act is the one and only key to guaranteed success: "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything." This is why any system of control seeks to quell (if not eradicate) free thought as its primary goal because those behind such systems rightfully understand that thought is the biggest threat to their maintaining power. Although governments and censorship boards banning art can be done under a variety of pretenses — this is deemed obscene, that is deemed offensive, and so on — what censoring or outright banning art really does is keep people in line.

Of course, that doesn't mean censorship always makes a ton of sense. Numerous instances of censored or banned art feel absolutely baffling. For instance, did you know that depicting someone head-butting...

Here’s why Disney rejected Back To The Future (Photo Credit – Amazon Prime Video)

When Back to the Future hit theaters on July 3, 1985, it flipped Hollywood. Michael J. Fox went from TV star to mega-celebrity, while director Robert Zemeckis made waves. Despite getting rejected by Disney for being “too scandalous,” the film ended the year as a box office champ, leaving fans craving more time-travel adventures!

How Did Back to the Future Get Made?

Zemeckis and screenwriter Bob Gale first crossed paths at USC in 1971, forming a creative bond that would ultimately shake the cinematic landscape. They dabbled in TV and scored a brief break with the Misfire 1941, which was more a flop than a blockbuster. But they brushed off that bomb and charged ahead. After creating Used Cars in 1980 with Kurt Russell, they decided it was time to unleash a wild time-travel concept. They were riding high on their...

The Broadway stage musical adaptation of Back To The Future will play its final performance on Sunday, January 5, producers announced today, bringing an end to its 18-month run at the Winter Garden Theatre.

When it closes, the musical will have performed more than 500 shows at the Winter Garden and, according to producers, sold $80 million in ticket sales. Producers have not announced a recoupment.

In recent months, attendance and sales have been slipping. Last week, the show took in $896,423 in weekly grosses, down considerably from the $1 million-plus figures from as recently as this past summer. Attendance last week was 86% of the venue’s capacity, while more recent Broadway arrivals – Cabaret, Sunset Blvd., Tammy Faye, The Outsiders – and even some longer-running shows like & Juliet, Aladdin, Hadestown and others – were in the 90% or more territory.

Directed by John Rando, the Broadway production, which opened on August 3, 2023, stars Casey Likes, Roger Bart, Evan Alexander Smith,...

Back to the Future – The Musical will end its Broadway run on Jan. 5, 2025.

The musical, which is an adaptation of the 1985 film, opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway on Aug. 3, 2023, and will have been on Broadway for 18 months at the time of its closing. The show has sold $80 million in tickets and appeared to attract movie fans, and new audiences to Broadway, but received mixed critical reviews and has seen a gradual decline in grosses and attendance.

Producers plan to open four productions in the next 18 months including Germany, Japan and announced an eight-year deal with Royal Caribbean to play the musical “in its full physical form” on Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas.

The show features a book, which closely follows the plot of the first film, by Bob Gale, the co-creator and co-writer for the film trilogy, and music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri, who...

For a good while, it seemed as though everything Steven Spielberg touched turned to gold. Having established the very concept of the blockbuster with "Jaws" in 1975, the director went on to make hit after hit with "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981), and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982). Even 1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" was a box office success, despite shocking some viewers who weren't used to such a dark and oddly violent effort from the director. Critical response to the movie was also more mixed than it had been for its predecessor. Of course, anyone following Spielberg's career closely would have known that "Temple of Doom" was not the first time the seemingly infallible director had fallen afoul of the critics.

Sandwiched between "Close Encounters" and "Raiders" in Spielberg's filmography is "1941." Made in 1979, this war comedy featured an ensemble cast that included Dan Aykroyd,...

Despite all its shortcomings, Steven Spielberg’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull gave fans one of the most iconic moments in the entire franchise, which sees Indy taking shelter from a nuclear blast in a refrigerator. Interestingly, the seeds for this scene were sown decades back during the scripting of one of the most influential films of all time.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) | Paramount Pictures

Like the film itself, the opening and ending of Back to the Future are iconic, and it’s hard to imagine them otherwise. But this was almost the case until Universal cut the budget for the film.

The Budget Cut for Back to the Future Became a Blessing in Disguise Back to the Future (1985) | Credit: Universal Pictures

While in most cases, a reduced budget often impacts a project negatively, in Back to the Future‘s case, it was certainly a blessing in disguise.

Great trilogies are hard to come by, as not only does the threequel have to be good in its own right, but the film also has the pressure to build upon the existing entries without losing its own identity. Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future trilogy is one such example, which cemented itself at the Mount Rushmore of great trilogies, standing toe to toe with the likes of Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy, and Lotr.

A still from Back to the Future | Credit: Universal Pictures

Moreover, the acclaimed filmmaker has made his stance clear on the possibility of a fourth entry in the franchise, stressing that he has no intention of giving in to the studio’s demand.

Back to the Future’s Legacy Won’t Be Hindered as Long Robert Zemeckis Is Here A still from Back to the Future | Credit: Universal Pictures

In the age of sequels, prequels,...

Michael J. Fox, who became a cinematic icon as Marty McFly in the hit sci-fi franchise Back to the Future, saw his star rise dramatically alongside the release of Teen Wolf in the same year, establishing him as a cultural icon.

A still from the Back to the Future film series | Credit: Universal Pictures

However, behind the scenes, Fox’s life mirrored the chaos of his on-screen characters. The actor nearly missed out on the iconic role due to his commitment to the sitcom Family Ties, which later caused him to huddle a hectic schedule to balance both, the movie and the show.

Michael J. Fox Almost Lost Back to the Future Due to Family Ties

Starting his acting career with TV roles in the late 1970s, Michael J. Fox initially gained recognition for his role as Alex P. Keaton in the NBC sitcom, Family Ties.

Michael J. Fox in...

Everyone knows that Steven Spielberg's "1941" was a notorious box office flop. And everyone ... is wrong. Despite its reputation over the years, Spielberg's 1979 war comedy was not a box office failure. It just looked that way because, well, it was a Steven Spielberg movie. In '79, in the wake of the record-breaking box office juggernaut that was "Jaws" and its successful follow-up "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," Steven Spielberg seemed untouchable. It felt like the wunderkind director could not fail — that, like a cinematic King Midas, everything he touched would turn to gold.

"1941" changed that. While the film went on to become a modest box office success, taking in $94.9 million on a $35 million budget, it was not well received. Critics were mixed at best on the film. As Roger Ebert wrote, "The movie finally reduces itself to an assault on our eyes and ears, a nonstop series of climaxes,...

This post contains spoilers for the "Back to the Future" trilogy.

Director Robert Zemeckis struggled with creating a successful, financially viable project after helming two films at the onset of his career — 1978's "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and 1980's "Used Cars" — which were produced by his mentor, Steven Spielberg. Despite being backed by such a bankable stalwart in the industry, Zemeckis' films experienced commercial failure time and again, making it difficult for him to land meaningful work during the early 1980s. However, his longtime collaborator, Bob Gale, teamed up with Zemeckis again to pen the script for a time-travel adventure focused on a teenager and an eccentric scientist, which was rejected by several studios at the time, prompting him to seek support from Spielberg's own production company, Amblin Entertainment. Although Spielberg's involvement was minimal compared to past collaborations, the director joined as an executive producer, allowing the project to take off.

With enough time, all your favorite mainstream movies will get remade. Michael J. Fox revealed his feelings on a potential Back to the Future remake. In addition, he expressed his opinion on the Broadway show Back to the Future: The Musical.

Michael J. Fox said a ‘Back to the Future’ remake couldn’t improve on the original

During a 2023 interview with Variety, Fox said he doesn’t want a Back to the Future reboot but he’s not torn up about it. “I’m not fanatical,” Fox said. “Do what you want. It’s your movie. I got paid already.”

Fox praised director Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale for avoiding another cliche Hollywood remake. “I don’t think it needs to be,” Fox added. “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?...

Nowadays, Hollywood is remaking every old movie, but it left Back to the Future intact. Michael J. Fox has an idea for a possible fourth film. Regardless, he doesn’t think another movie needs to be made.

Michael J. Fox said a new ‘Back to the Future’ should make 1 major change

During a 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Fox discussed his feelings about the Back to the Future franchise. “There’s something about it that connects with people on every level,” he said. “I just feel like it will come around again.”

The star had a bold prescription for a new Back to the Future movie. “I actually had this thought that if they did the movie again, they should do it with a girl as Marty,” he said. Fox’s comments reflect a new era of Hollywood filmmaking that is more concerned with feminism than ever before.

Michael J. Fox...

“You are sitting in the DeLorean (from) Marty McFly’s point-of-view,” explained Steven Spielberg in a promotional video that described the experience of Back to the Future: The Ride. “Doc Brown is guiding you right through the experience, and you are really in Back to the Future. It’s almost like Back to the Future Part IV.”

Debuting at Universal Studios Florida in 1991, Back to the Future: The Ride was a groundbreaking attraction that involved some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Along with Spielberg, who birthed the idea and oversaw the ride’s development as a consultant for Universal Studios, visionary filmmaker Douglas Trumbull was hired to direct the footage that accompanied the ride. Trumbull had made a name for himself creating the visual effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner, and his Back to the Future adventure took riders to Future Hill Valley, the ice age...

Wyatt Russell was born to Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn on July 10, 1986, eight days after "Big Trouble in Little China," his pop's third and lamentably final big-screen collaboration with John Carpenter, bombed at the box office. The martial arts action-fantasy movie didn't seriously damage Russell's career, but it did alter its trajectory a tad. Just about everything after "Big Trouble in Little China" was a two-hander or an ensemble piece. Though he could still mess around in nonsense like "Overboard" and "Captain Ron," he couldn't dominate a movie with a broad, endearingly dopey hero like Jack Burton anymore.

Kurt Russell has many different modes, but I grew up with a preference for his swaggering himbos, guys who were so supremely confident in their capabilities that, like Wile E. Coyote, they didn't realize how far off the edge of the cliff they'd run. Watching a lug like Burton scramble out of...

A filmmaker’s versatility is proved by the fact that he or she can never be boxed into any specific genre. In this regard, Steven Spielberg is the pioneer. From war dramas to sci-fi thrillers to intense biopics, the prolific director has shown that he is adept at creating magic and bringing any type of narrative to life.

Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg

Despite a decent box office collection, 1941 did not quite excite fans and critics across the country. The film’s screenwriter Bob Gale spoke to Yahoo Entertainment back in 2014 and elaborated on the reasons why the comedy failed to land with audiences. One of the key factors involved the paucity of time for the director to create a perfect final product.

It had been promoted and advertized to come out at Christmas 1979. I think if Steven had had another three or four more weeks in the editing room to work with the film,...

Robert Zemeckis couldn't have asked for a more propitious start to his filmmaking career. Soon after graduating from University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts in 1973, Zemeckis, on the strength of his award-winning student film, found a powerful young mentor in Steven Spielberg. The "Jaws" maestro was Universal Pictures' in-house wunderkind, so when he flipped out over "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," a raucous comedy, written by Zemeckis and his creative partner Bob Gale, about a trio of young girls desperate to attend the live taping of The Beatles' first performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," the studio greenlit it -- even though Zemeckis was completely untested as a feature director.

Five years later, Zemeckis' was very close to finished in Hollywood.

With a budget of $2.8 million, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" wasn't considered a gamble. And when it lost money for Universal, the studio didn't sweat it. But...

Everybody loves Back to the Future, the classic story of a suburban teen who drives a cocaine trafficker’s luxury car into the 1950s and inadvertently seduces his own mother. Fun for the whole family!

Yeah, there’s a lot of creepy stuff going on in these movies that spawned a literal children’s Saturday morning cartoon— from Doc Brown’s multiple crimes to the fact that Marty and Doc’s adventures through time somehow doomed Princess Diana.

Obviously, the whole thing is based on a wildly uncomfortable premise, featuring a climax that requires our hero to make out with his own mother in order to preserve the integrity of the space-time continuum, while also ensuring that he’ll spend the rest of his life in intense psychotherapy.

The original movie is so gross, a lot of people seemingly haven’t noticed that the third movie is also incredibly incestuous.

In cinematic history, few films have managed to capture the hearts of audiences quite like Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s Back to the Future. The film is the perfect comedy of science-fiction, comedy, and drama and it is impossible for movie lovers to think of a world without Back to the Future. However, there was a time when no one wanted to bet on the film.

Back to the Future (1985) | Amblin Entertainment

That’s right. While Back to the Future is as iconic as iconic gets, many studios turned a blind eye to the script for one reason or the other. But then there was Steven Spielberg who always saw the potential in the film and eventually was able to get himself the last laugh.

How Steven Spielberg Got Attached to Back to the Future

Michael J. Fox in Back to The Future | Amblin Entertainment

Bob Gale first had...

Back to the Future is a true sci-fi masterpiece developed under the cinematic canvas of Robert Zemeckis and screenwriter Bob Gale. However, even a movie of such caliber and star cast had a slew of rejections before it was released, including multimedia titans like Disney, which gave the film a hard pass.

Lea Thompson & Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future || Universal Studios

While many would assume that the complicated timeline of the movie would be the issue, the reasoning for the same was entirely different and presented a rather scandalous scene by the protagonist, Michael J. Fox.

Disney rejected Back to the Future due to a certain scene by Michael J. Fox

The movie was rejected by over 40 multimedia houses, according to screenwriter and producer Bob Gale, who disclosed this in 2010 (via CNN) for the film’s 25th anniversary. One of the main reasons for this rejection was...

July 2024 is going to be a bustling month on Netflix, with over 50 movies scheduled to hit the streamer's library in the United States. As ever when it comes to Netflix, the incoming titles will generally skew mainstream and recent, but they still cover a wide array of genres and countries -- and sci-fi fans will find plenty of good stuff to dig into in that new batch.

The selection of science fiction titles coming to Netflix this July (not counting new originals) will include seven total movies, with six of those movies hailing from two enormously popular trilogies that are set to be made available in full on the service. The seventh one, meanwhile, is a sequel to a popular animated film that Netflix currently doesn't have. But as frustrating as that impracticality is always wont to be, the sequel in question is fun and self-contained enough to be enjoyed on its own.

"In 1972 Kolchak: The Night Stalker transfixed audiences. The movie became the highest-rated TV movie in U.S. history and spawned the cult TV series starring Darren McGavin. The TV movie’s iconic screenplay was written by horror legend and novelist Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) and was based on an unpublished novel by Jeff Rice, which was released the following year. Now Bram Stoker Award-winning editor and writer James Aquilone and Monstrous Books have acquired the print rights to Kolchak and will be releasing a limited edition of Jeff Rice’s original, cult novel."

The Monstrous Books deluxe hardcover edition of Kolchak: The Night Stalker just went live on Kickstarter, with a limited print run of 1973 copies. Ahead of today's campaign launch, I caught up with James Aquilone to talk about this new edition, his love of all things Kolchak, and what's next:

You're starting by printing the original Jeff Rice "Night Stalker" novel,...

The year was 1989 when Michael Keaton first donned the cape and cowl for Tim Burton’s Batman, Cher wanted to turn back time, and Marty McFly bungled the most sure-fire get-rich-quick scheme in cinematic history in Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future Part II.

After the monumental success of Back to the Future, Univeral Studios approached Robert Zemeckis about creating a sequel to his film that had quickly become a pop culture touchstone. Hesitant about capturing lightning in a bottle twice, Zemeckis said he wouldn’t make the film unless Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd returned as Marty McFly and Doc Brown, respectively. Thankfully, both were game to gas up the DeLorean and push the speedometer to 88mph for another excursion through time. With Fox and Lloyd confirmed, Zemeckis arranged his ceremonial objects to summon his writing partner, Bob Gale, to determine where Marty and Doc would travel next.

Back to the Future is one of the most iconic films of all time. It managed to completely change the sci-fi genre forever, gained popularity in a way that was unheard of, and started a wave of influence and inspiration that can be felt in Hollywood to date. While the film series, as a whole, has had this effect, there is no denying that the first film always stands out the most.

Lea Thompson and Michael J. Fox in a still from Back to the Future | Universal Pictures

Science-fiction films have never been cheap to make, and the 1985 film was no different in this regard. However. it would seem that the first film could have been even more expensive had it gone for the original ending.

Back to the Future Was Almost Very Different

Before Back to the Future got its wholesome ending, the film was supposed to end in a much darker tone.

With the back-to-back blockbuster combo of "Jaws" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," Steven Spielberg had firmly established himself as a sui generis Hollywood visionary when, in 1978, he chose to make "1941." Most people consider this a near-disaster of a decision. The anarchic World War II comedy, set in panicked Southern California in the immediate wake of the assault on Pearl Harbor, was a 180-degree turn from the spirited adventure and childlike yearning of his previous two films. It was silly, vulgar and more than a little mean. And, most audaciously, it was making light of the country's understandably crazed reaction to an attack that killed thousands of U.S. military personnel.

Spielberg's co-conspirators in this juvenile affront to one of the worst days in 20th century American history were screenwriters John Milius, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale — and, really, all you have to do is watch "Used Cars...

The year was 1985 when Super Mario Bros. took the Nintendo Entertainment System by storm; Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes debuted in newspapers, and two unlikely friends named Marty McFly and Emmett Lathrop Brown piloted cinema’s most iconic time machine to a year when Panama hats and kitten heels were all the rage, 1955.

Fiercely protected at a level akin to Ghostbusters and Star Wars by millennials worldwide, Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future sits enthroned at Nostalgia Mountain’s top. The original film has spawned two sequels, a cartoon series, video game adaptations, a Broadway musical, and more. But how does it hold up by today’s standards? Strap on your seatbelt, and prepare yourselves to see some serious shit because this is Back to the Future Revisited.

In 1977, Robert Zemeckis did the unthinkable. He bulldozed into Amblin Entertainment without an appointment, heading straight for Steven Spielberg’s office.

Ah, the 1990s. Perhaps the peak of the moviegoing experience. Theaters consistently showed classics such as the special effects marvel "Jurassic Park," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "Pulp Fiction," "Fargo," and "Titanic." The decade also featured an abundance of outstanding horror films like "The Sixth Sense," "Scream," "Misery," and "Interview with the Vampire," all boasting big-name stars and top-tier directors.

However, playing at the opposite end of the cineplex were thrillers you may have never heard about or skipped simply due to bad reviews or scathing word of mouth. Some of Hollywood's top talent attached themselves to such projects, thwarted by ornery critics or moviegoers seeking higher-end entertainment. That's a shame.

While there are undoubtedly plenty of terrible horror films from the 90s, the decade was also ripe with lower-tier entries that have aged surprisingly well. Many don't reset the bar established by esteemed pictures like "The Silence of the Lambs,...

Whenever the future is depicted in movies, it is generally a dark, depressing dystopian future where something happens in our present that sets forth the collapse of our society. Even Disney is not immune to showing us a future where Earth is no longer inhabitable (the beloved Wall-e). But occasionally, a movie shows a future that doesn’t look so bad—one with self-lacing shoes, 19 Jaws movies and flying cars. Of course, if we are being technical, this movie is also in the past. It’s time for us to hop in our DeLorean, generate the necessary 1.21 Jigowatts and travel to the futuristic world of October 21, 2015, as we take a look at what Back to the Future Part II got right and wrong about the future of technology… from eight years ago!

Coming off the success of the original Back to The Future, writer/ director Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale and Producer Steven Spielberg,...

Back to the Future is considered to be one of the greatest time travel films ever made. Having become a hit in the mid-’80s, the sci–fi classic has been discovered by fresh eyes in the four decades since its release with each new wave of fans fascinated by its behind the scenes trivia.

Do you remember the first time you heard that Michael J. Fox wasn’t originally cast as Marty McFly? Do you recall how weird it was seeing footage of Mask star Eric Stolz as Marty, or finding out that the film would have been called Space Man from Pluto if producer Steven Spielberg hadn’t stepped in to stop studio exec Sid Sheinberg from changing the title? Did you know that Marty’s mentor Doc Brown was supposed to have a pet chimp instead of a dog called Einstein?

Depending on how deep down the...

The concept of time travel, though usually lumped in with science fiction, is actually far closer to fantasy. The notion is rooted in nostalgia, the collective unconscious assumption that there was such a thing as "the good old days." It's also borne out of an interest in history, which as "The Holdovers" so recently and succinctly stated, is really an interest in knowing more about ourselves. While actual time travel will likely never exist, a particular form of it has already existed for over 100 years: cinema.

If poring through film history allows a viewer to ostensibly travel through time, then it only follows that cinema would be a natural tool to examine history and time travel as well. When co-writer and producer Bob Gale hit upon his father's old high school yearbook one day and wondered if he and his father would've been friends (let alone like each other) had...

Great Scott!

Exclusively for Empire subscribers this month, you have the chance to win a pair of tickets to Back to the Future: The Musical at the Adelphi Theatre, London.

It’s an adaptation of the iconic story we all know and love of Marty, Doc and the time-travelling DeLorean, from the original film script by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis. Meaning it’s a show filled with the classic lines, music, and of course, gravity-defying effects that will leave you in awe!

It's received rave reviews and is sure to be a night you'll remember.

Click the button below for your chance to win this great prize.

This article contains minorTotally Killer spoilers.

A young woman lays back on a waterbed, playfully tossing double entendres at her boyfriend. The sounds of “Lady in Red” by Chris De Burgh leak into the room from the party outside, adding an air of mystery to the masked man who emerges from the shadows. Still ready for sex, the young woman teases the masked man about his disguise, but when he doesn’t respond, she realizes that he’s not her boyfriend.

The masked man produces a knife and begins stabbing her stomach, pushing her back down onto the waterbed. Springs stream from the liquidy mattress, and blood splatters on Sears Portrait Studio glam pictures hanging on the wall.

If that description sounds like it comes from a slasher flick from the 1980s, then director Nahnatchka Khan achieved her goal. Her Blumhouse film Totally Killer follows a masked killer in 1987, borrowing...

This review contains spoilers for the show's visual surprises.

The original 1985 "Back to the Future" movie is a fantasy. It's a teen time travel fantasy about knocking sense into your disappointing parents and ensuring they grow into better people. It's a fantasy where "If You Put Your Mind To It, You Can Accomplish Anything" pays dividends as an adage. It's also a visual effects dream — courtesy of its director-screenwriter Robert Zemeckis and Ilm — that rode the waves of critical and commercial success, two sequels, pop culture homages, and now a "Back to the Future: The Musical."

The famed DeLorean time machine skids onto Broadway's Winter Garden stage, as the West End version dances on. Within a few blinding flashes, the vehicle pops up like magic thanks to Chris Fisher's illusion work and Tim Lutkin & Hugh Vanstone's tactful lighting. Its 3D scan designed by Tim Hatley, the DeLorean feels alive.

If you’re seeing an eight p.m. performance of Back to the Future: The Musical on Broadway, I’ve got a time-travel tip for you: Set your DeLorean for about 10:10 p.m. and hit the gas, because it’s only in the final action sequence that this meandering remodeling of Robert Zemeckis’s 1985 sci-fi classic pivots from tedious fan service to stunning stage magic.

Few shows have mastered the varied arts of cinematic recreation quite like this one. Finn Ross’s video design brings the film’s iconic scenes of warp-speed time travel to thrilling life, while lit for maximal dizzying impact by Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone. The reenactment of the moment when scientist Doc Brown (Roger Bart) clambers atop a clock tower during a lightning storm while Marty McFly (Casey Likes) revs the DeLorean in the distance is a perfect marriage of design elements, with video,...

Good news for people who grew up delighting in the weirdo charms of Marty McFly and the DeLorean: The new, two-and-a-half-hour “Back to the Future” musical — which officially opened on Broadway Thursday night — is an incredibly faithful retelling of the 1985 movie, down to classic lines (“My dad’s a peeping Tom!”) and awkward as hell relationship drama.

As for everyone else? Well, that’s where the trouble begins in this musical that, for better or worse, often feels more like an amusement park experience than an art production. The thrill ride even begins before the show officially starts, with the whole outer stage and wings set up to look like an ‘80s video game, with scrolling neon lights and mechanical sounds.

Written by Bob Gale (who originally co-wrote the film), the plot is exactly the one you remember. Everyday teenage boy Marty McFly accidentally goes back in time 30 years, thanks...

It’s been 38 years since the release of the film version of Back to the Future.

But the cast gathered earlier this week as if no time had passed at all, joining a gala celebrating Back to the Future: The Musical, which is currently playing in previews at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway ahead of an Aug. 3 opening date.

The plot line of the stage show follows the film. The logline: “When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past and send himself … back to the future.”

On hand for the gala on Tuesday were the original Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), along with costars Lea Thompson (Lorraine Baines), Don Fullilove (Mayor...

Of every beloved film from the 1980’s, there are perhaps none more beloved by my inner-child than 1985’s Back To The Future. The film was written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis- Zemeckis also being the film’s director. While we can look back on Robert Zemeckis’ career today and see a wide variety of quality across his filmography, at the time Back To The Future was being made there was no one better for the massive undertaking of bringing this sci-fi adventure movie to audiences.

Of course, the making of this film was riddled with re-writes, re-shoots, and even massive recasting. Famously, Eric Stoltz was cast in the role of the film’s main character- Marty McFly. Through filming, Stoltz turned in a darker and more moody performance that lacked the youthful charm that Zemeckis was looking for. This led to Stoltz being fired from the film mid-way...

Michael J. Fox came face to face with his younger self on Tuesday. Like a time-traveling scene out of “Back to the Future,” the star met Casey Likes, the young actor who plays Marty McFly in the new Broadway musical adaptation of the classic film.

Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson reunited on the red carpet at the Winter Garden Theatre, which was complete with a prop replica of the famous time-traveling DeLorean, before a benefit performance of “Back to the Future: The Musical” for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. A crowd of fans flocked to the theater and stuck through a rainy afternoon to see a pair of Marty McFlys and Doc Browns collide. Fox posed with Likes, and Lloyd shook hands with Roger Bart, who transforms into a wild-haired Doc, before the show started.

“Back to the Future: The Musical” will have its official Broadway opening on Aug.

Back To The Future: The Musical landed on Broadway last week in overdrive: The stage adaptation starring Casey Likes and Roger Bart scored a dizzying $1,035,256 with just four sold-out preview performances at the Winter Garden.

The musical, which opens August 3, features a book by Bob Gale and new music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard – with additional songs from the film including “The Power of Love” and “Johnny B. Goode.” Direction is by John Rando, who did the same for the hit London production.

The million-dollar-tally was a solid contribution to Broadway’s total box office receipts for the week ending July 2. In all, the 33 Broadway productions grossed $33,509,406, holding steady from the previous week. Same for attendance of 272,766, with 89% of available seats filled and the average ticket price at $122.85.

Another recent arrival, Alex Edelman’s acclaimed solo show Just For Us, had a strong opening week at the Hudson,...

“I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet,” so says Marty McFly—he of the far-off future of the 1980s—after performing a raucous, Chuck-Berry-presaging guitar solo in front of crowd of Bobby sox era teens in 1955, “But your kids are gonna love it.”

Star Michael J. Fox and screenwriters Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale might’ve known at least that much about the future of popular music when making their iconic 1985 film, but could they have anticipated that said kids, their kids (and their kids’ kids) would still love Back to the Future so passionately nearly 40 years later?

If there was any doubt about the enduring appeal of the Zemeckis-directed sci-fi comedy blockbuster in the year 2023, look no further than Film Independent Presents’ Back to the Future Live Read. The classic film was given new life at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on June 24. The...

Great Scott!

Ben Schwartz is teaming with Film Independent and Mubi for a live reading of Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s iconic script for “Back to the Future.” Schwartz will both direct the production and star as Marty McFly, the 1980s teenager zapped back in time to the wholesome 1950s. Quinta Brunson, Sam Richardson, Drew Tarver, Gil Ozeri, Bobby Moynihan and Scott Aukerman (who will be providing his services as narrator) also star. There will also be special, as-yet-unannounced guests. It will be performed at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts’ Bram Goldsmith Theater this Saturday, June 24.

“’Back to the Future’ was the movie that made me fall in love with movies. I have recited this film to myself so many times throughout the years that I cannot wait to see what it feels like to do it with this incredible and inspiring group of actors,” said...

There has been a long history of Hollywood actors being replaced during the production of a movie. The reasons vary; they just weren't right for the role, or they butted heads with so-and-so, or disagreed with the director on their creative vision. While these incidents may have been stressful and unpleasant for the actors at the time, there is one thing that stands out when you look at any list of mid-production replacements. In almost every case, the replacement looks like the far better option, which is of course easy to say in hindsight.

During the '80s, Sylvester Stallone was riding high after the success of "Rocky III" and "First Blood," the movie that introduced his second iconic character. Next up was the lead role in "Beverly Hills Cop," but Stallone wrote his way out of the part by rejigging the screenplay to make it more action-packed. The studio...