Back to the Future - 40 (6 photos)

In the summer of 1985, a film was released that instantly became an icon of a generation and set new standards for science fiction in cinema. Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Bob Gale and produced by Steven Spielberg.

In 2025, it was 40 years since the film’s premiere, and it still holds up well, inspiring new viewers and reminding them of the power of a good plot, charismatic actors and unique style.





The script for "Back to the Future" was repeatedly rejected by Hollywood studios. More than 40 times. Only Universal Studios agreed to take on the project, largely due to Spielberg's authority.

The idea came to screenwriter Bob Gale when he found his father's school yearbook and wondered if he and his father would be friends if they were the same age. This is how the storyline was born: a teenager accidentally ends up in the past and interferes with his own family history.



When Robert Zemeckis was about to shoot his sci-fi comedy "Back to the Future," he and the producers initially wanted to cast Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly. But he was busy filming another movie, and they found a replacement in the person of a new star, Eric Stoltz.

However, five weeks of filming made it clear to both the director and the producers that they had made the wrong choice. Eric Stoltz was playing a dramatic character, and they needed a comedy. In the end, they asked the actor to leave and persuaded Michael J. Fox to combine filming in two projects.





The central element of the film was a time machine assembled on the basis of the DeLorean DMC-12 - a car with a futuristic design, upward-opening doors and a stainless body. The car already had a reputation due to scandals around its creator John DeLorean, accused of drug trafficking.

Three copies were purchased for the film, each of which was used for different scenes. The creators added radiators, cables, boxes with light bulbs, Dodge wheel covers and even turbine parts to the body - so that the car looked like a real scientific device.



With a budget of $19 million, the film grossed over $388 million. It became the highest-grossing film of 1985 and won numerous awards, including an Oscar for Best Sound Editing. The success led to two sequels that were filmed simultaneously - an innovative approach for the time.

Back to the Future spawned an entire universe: animated series, comics, video games, themed exhibitions. In 2020, a musical based on the film was released in the UK, which became an international hit. The DeLorean has become a cult car, and the Nike Mag sneakers that laced themselves in the film were actually released in a limited edition in 2015 — with automatic lacing.



40 years later, the film has not aged either in terms of plot or visuals. It remains one of the brightest and most inspiring examples of how a good idea, passion for your business, and a little luck can create not just a film, but an eternal legend.