Yahoo Lifestyle 'Back To The Future' Writer Shares Explicit 2-Word Response To The Idea Of A Fourth Film
Bob Gale has some choice words for “Back to the Future” fans demanding a fourth film.
The award-winning screenwriter, who penned and produced all three entries in the beloved franchise, made what some would consider a shattering announcement Sunday after receiving the George Pal Memorial Award at the Saturn Awards in Universal City, California.
“People always say, ‘Well, when are you guys gonna do ‘Back to the Future 4?’” Gale told reporters at press conference alongside “Future” actors and fellow George Pal recipients Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson. “And we say, ‘Fuck you.’ You can quote me on that.”
While the answer produced audible laughter from those in the room, it appeared to be a genuine reaction to a long-running question from lifelong fans of the franchise, which were not only box office hits but created a devoted fan base that hasn’t wavered since 1985.
“No, we made three terrific movies,” Gale clarified Sunday. “And people kept asking for more ‘Back to the Future,’ so we made ‘Back to the Future: The Musical,’ which Chris and Lea have attended on several occasions — we’re taking it around the world.”
“So, my God, ‘Back to the Future,’” he joked. “I’m gonna be doing it for the rest of my life.”
The 73-year-old filmmaker did clarify he’s having “the best third act of life that somebody could ask for” as a result of the franchise, and appeared genuinely grateful about crafting such a beloved series of adventure films with director Robert Zemeckis and their cast.
Some fandoms appear incapable of letting the past go in hopes of another “Future,” meanwhile, with swaths of enthusiasts who grew up on the franchise regularly clamoring about another entry at fan conventions over the past two decades.
Gale told BBC News in 2020 that cashing in for a fourth film would be like “selling your kids into prostitution,” however, and said he and Zemeckis purposefully added a clause into their contract that requires Universal Pictures to get their sign-off for a fourth.
When asked last year on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast how often he’s asked about potentially changing his mind, Gale jokingly replied: “Oh, every six months.”
The decadeslong speculation about a fourth entry has likely been boosted by numerous profitable “legacy sequels” to iconic franchises such as “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars,” but has left even Michael J. Fox wary of ruining an arguably perfect trilogy with a reboot.
“I don’t think it needs to be,” Fox told Variety in 2023. “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.”
