Robert Zemeckis thrilled audiences by taking them back in time. Back to the Future, a creative piece penned by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, became the ultimate feel-good movie. It was the perfect comedy-drama with a thoroughly entertaining storyline. Accompanied by a top-tier nostalgic soundtrack, it blossomed into a favorite, enduring the test of time.

The success of the writers' sci-fi tale led to two sequels that perfectly complemented the first. It took its place as one of the most robust trilogies to be made. Each segment phenomenally explored time travel in a way fans had not yet envisioned. As noted on rogerebert.com, "In the long history of time travel movies, there has never been a time machine quite like Brown's."

Zemeckis and Gale created a solid work demonstrating mastery on multiple levels. Studio Scoop notes that with "the powerful, emotionally resonant themes of optimism that stretch from 1955 to 2015 to the visual gags, it's hard to think of a film that better captures the most enduring themes of American culture." So, with the relative success of the film and the never-ending trend of reworking classics, one wonders if a Back to the Future reboot would work in this period.

What Made Back to the Future Great?

Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future movie
Universal Pictures

To consider whether a reboot would work, one must account for the initial film's success factors. In this case, the primary factor of importance is the timing of the release. Back to the Future debuted in the mid-80s, making the timing imperative to its success.

The mid-80s was an optimistic time, especially in terms of cinematic offerings. It was a time when feel-good movies were at the height of popularity. For example, some of the biggest films of the '80s that later became classics were The Neverending Story, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, ET, Goonies, and Top Gun. It was also a time when, in general, people were forward-thinking, looking toward the limitless possibilities of the future.

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The world was also on the precipice of a tech explosion. According to ourworldindata.org, "it was the creation of the World Wide Web in 1989 that revolutionized our history of communication." Back to the Future spoke to everything that audiences desired. Zemeckis and Gale brilliantly blended the feel-good with futurism, and it worked.

Another pertinent fact of importance is the casting. Undoubtedly, the casting choices made in Back to the Future were integral to the film's success. While the plot was spot on, it took the phenomenal skills of Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Tom Wilson to bring the feature home. They fully embodied the characters, transforming them into iconic figures. Now it's hard to imagine a Back to the Future feature without any of these personalities.

So, would a reboot work, given viewer inclination, story, and character? Let's flesh it out.

The Time Travel Must Be Done Well

Back to the Future 3
Universal Pictures 

This is a different era and a different class of moviegoers with evolved interests. Given that factor alone, it's safe to conclude a reboot thematically may not go over well. While people remain forward-looking, technological advancement and access to information have contributed to a generation of overly informed skeptics.

For a Back to the Future reboot to work, the time travel concept must be relatively flawless. For many sci-fi fans, the time travel component is often a bone of contention, making many movies with time travel either a hit or miss. Failure to deliver on believability will come off as a farce or egregious. That is hardly what Back to the Future represents.

Weighing in The Casts' Perspectives

Back to the Future movie
Universal Pictures

Not everyone is against a reboot of the feature favorite. Two of the Back to Future alumni have surprising perspectives when it comes to the possible reworking of the film. Michael J. Fox, who is Marty McFly, thinks a reboot would work. According to Cinema Blend, Fox pitched his idea for a reboot at the 2022 New York Comic Con. The lead actor's idea doesn't alter the thematic concepts. However, Fox does think that if they did the movie again, they should gender-swap roles for Marty.

Related Link: Back to the Future Cast and Where They Are Today

Another titular character had an entirely different idea of what might work well. While Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown) did not pitch a reboot, he had an idea of what an ideal sequel would look like. Lloyd told a Niagara Falls Comic Con crowd, according to comicbook.com, if a sequel were made, it should address a relevant social issue for the time.

Lloyd doubled down on that in a 2018 interview with the Phoenix New Times. According to the actor, if the idea was solid enough, he would consider an appearance in a possible sequel. In Lloyd's words,"I'd love to be in a fourth film if they could come up with the right idea that extends the story and does it as well as the first three." However, in 2015 Zemeckis told Vanity Fair it wasn't happening.

"Of all the trilogies, we’d least want to see meddled with, Back to the Future is high on the list.

So Would a Reboot Work?

Back to The Future
Universal Pictures

The entertainment industry is saturated with reboots, remakes, and re-imaginings. For the most part, audiences are tired of this trend. Viewers want something fresh.

Zemeckis stands firmly against a reboot. He noted to Vanity Fair, "I mean, to me, that’s outrageous. Especially since it’s a good movie. It’s like saying 'Let’s remake Citizen Kane. Who are we going to get to play Kane?’" However, he has a great point. There is a solid premise to the argument for preserving what is already great and not tarnishing it for the sake of doing something.

Yes, a reboot could be done, but it would require massive work. There is a strong likelihood it would be subpar to the first trio logy or bomb altogether. So the more poignant question becomes, is a reboot needed?