Revisiting Hill Valley: Unearthed Behind-the-Scenes Photos from Back to the Future

“Back to the Future” is a classic science fiction film released in 1985. The story follows high school student Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) who is accidentally sent back in time 30 years to 1955 in a time machine built by his eccentric friend, Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd).

While in 1955, Marty inadvertently interferes with his parents’ first meeting, which puts his own existence in jeopardy. With the help of a younger version of Doc Brown, Marty must find a way to ensure his parents fall in love and he can return to his own time. Along the way, he encounters various challenges and obstacles, including a bully named Biff, who complicates matters for him both in the past and the future.

“Back to the Future” was a huge commercial and critical success, leading to two sequels and becoming one of the most beloved movie franchises of all time. The film is renowned for its clever writing, iconic characters, and memorable moments, and remains a pop culture staple over 35 years after its initial release.

Enjoy these behind the scenes pictures from Back to the Future.

Eric Stoltz?

Eric Stoltz was originally cast to play the lead role of Marty McFly in “Back to the Future”. However, after four weeks of filming, the filmmakers realized that Stoltz wasn’t quite right for the part and decided to replace him with Michael J. Fox. The decision was made to reshoot all of Stoltz’s scenes with Fox, which added millions of dollars to the film’s budget and caused delays in the production schedule.

Back to the Future Blooper

10 Back to the Future Fun Facts

1. Originally, the DeLorean time machine was supposed to be a refrigerator. However, the filmmakers changed it to a car because they were afraid children would start locking themselves in refrigerators to try and time travel.
2. The mall used for the town square scenes was a real shopping center in California called Puente Hills Mall. The clock tower was added for the film and is still a popular tourist attraction to this day.
3. Michael J. Fox was not the first choice to play Marty McFly. The role was originally offered to Eric Stoltz, but after a few weeks of filming, the filmmakers realized he wasn’t right for the part and replaced him with Fox.
4. The famous line “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads” was improvised by Christopher Lloyd (who played Doc Brown).
5. The film was initially rejected by several studios, including Disney, who thought that the storyline was too inappropriate for a family movie.
6. The name of the town “Hill Valley” was chosen because it was a generic name that could be found in any state.
7. The film’s budget was originally set at $14 million, but ended up costing $19 million due to the extensive reshoots required after Eric Stoltz was replaced.
8. The film’s composer, Alan Silvestri, wrote the iconic score in just 10 days.
9. The film was originally titled “Spaceman from Pluto,” but after receiving a memo from executive producer Sid Sheinberg suggesting the change, director Robert Zemeckis jokingly responded with a memo of his own saying how much he loved the new title “Back to the Future.” Sheinberg believed it was a serious suggestion and the rest is history.
10. In the scene where Marty first meets his father, George McFly, in the diner, he orders a Pepsi Free. Today, you can still order a Pepsi Free at the Universal Studios Hollywood Backlot, where the set of the diner is still standing.