Director Robert Zemeckis Says Being Forced to Change His Original BACK TO THE FUTURE Ending Was the Right Move

Back to the Future is an 80s classic that has stood the test of time with generations of fans that continue to return to enjoy the trilogy. By now, we all know the first movie was almost very different, as the original actor hired to play Marty McFly (Eric Stoltz) was changed out after several weeks of shooting.

The film’s director could tell that despite being a great actor, he just wasn’t the right fit for the role, and when Michael J. Fox was hired, everything just fell into place. But another original plan for how the film would end was also scrapped, and director Robert Zemeckis now sees that it was the right move.

In a recent interview on El Rey Network with fellow director Robert Rodriguez, Zemeckis explained that the original ending to the first film involved Doc and Marty breaking into a nuclear test site before a test.

That was how they were originally planning to harness the 1.21 gigawatts they needed to send Marty and the DeLorean back to 1985. He said they were planning to build a whole fake town, like the ones they used on 1950s test sites.

Zemeckis explained that just weeks before filming began, Universal cut the budget for the set piece, and the director and the crew were forced to figure out a way to use the courthouse, as that set was already constructed. With that came the idea of Doc connecting the wires just in time for the lightning to strike and Marty to hit 88 miles per hour, and the rest is history.

Zemeckis explained to Rodriguez, “It was just much, much more romantic and much better for the movie. We having this fight, which really made us angry, actually improved the story… This is the magic of this art form.”

Luckily everyone involved had good ideas and the sense to hear a better idea when it came along. Back to the Future is a classic, and it will continue to bring us back as the decades go on.