title: Back to the Future

text: "Back to the Future" has since grown in esteem and is now considered by critics and audiences to be one of the greatest science-fiction films and among the best films ever made. In 2007, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry. The film was followed by two sequels, "Back to the Future Part II" (1989) and "Back to the Future Part III" (1990). Spurred by the film's dedicated fan following and effect on popular culture, Universal Studios launched a multimedia franchise, which now includes video games, , an animated television series, and a . Its enduring popularity has prompted numerous books about its production, documentaries, and commercials.


title: Back to the Future

text: In 1985, teenager Marty McFly lives in Hill Valley, California, with his depressed alcoholic mother, Lorraine; his older siblings, who are professional and social failures; and his meek father, George, who is bullied by his supervisor, Biff Tannen. After Marty's band is rejected from a music audition, he confides in his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, that he fears becoming like his parents despite his ambitions.


title: Back to the Future

text: That night, Marty meets his eccentric scientist friend, Emmett "Doc" Brown, in the Twin Pines mall parking lot. Doc unveils a time machine built from a modified DeLorean, powered by plutonium he swindled from Libyan terrorists. After Doc inputs a destination time of November5, 1955—the day he first conceived his time travel invention—the terrorists arrive unexpectedly and gun Doc down. Marty flees in the DeLorean, inadvertently activating time travel when he reaches .


title: Back to the Future

text: Arriving in 1955, Marty discovers he has no plutonium to return. While exploring a burgeoning Hill Valley, Marty encounters his teenage father and discovers Biff was bullying George even then. George falls into the path of an oncoming car while spying on the teenage Lorraine changing clothes, and Marty is knocked unconscious while saving him. He wakes to find himself tended to by Lorraine, who becomes infatuated with him. Marty tracks down and convinces a younger Doc that he is from the future, but Doc explains the only source available in 1955 capable of generating the power required for time travel is a lightning bolt. Marty shows Doc a flyer from the future that documents an upcoming lightning strike at the town's courthouse. As Marty's siblings begin to fade from a photo he is carrying with him, Doc realizes Marty's actions are altering the future and jeopardizing his existence; Lorraine was supposed to tend to George instead of Marty after the car accident. Early attempts to get his parents acquainted fail, and Lorraine's infatuation with Marty deepens.


title: Back to the Future

text: Lorraine asks Marty to the school dance, and he plots to feign inappropriate advances on her, allowing George to intervene and "rescue" her, but the plan goes awry when Biff's gang locks Marty in the trunk of the performing band's car, while Biff forces himself onto Lorraine. George arrives expecting to find Marty but is assaulted by Biff. After Biff hurts Lorraine, an enraged George knocks him unconscious and escorts the grateful Lorraine to the dance. The band frees Marty from their car, but the lead guitarist injures his hand in the process, and Marty takes his place, performing while George and Lorraine share their first kiss. With his future no longer in jeopardy, Marty heads to the courthouse to meet Doc.


title: Back to the Future

text: Doc discovers a letter from Marty warning him about his future and destroys it, worried about the consequences. To save Doc, Marty re-calibrates the DeLorean to return ten minutes before he left the future. The lightning strikes, sending Marty back to 1985, but the DeLorean breaks down, forcing Marty to run back to the mall. He arrives as Doc is being shot. While Marty grieves at his side, Doc sits up, revealing he pieced Marty's note back together and wore a bulletproof vest. He takes Marty home and departs to 2015 in the DeLorean. Marty wakes the next morning to discover his father is now a confident and successful science fiction author, his mother is fit and happy, his siblings are successful, and Biff is a servile valet in George's employ. As Marty reunites with Jennifer, Doc suddenly reappears in the DeLorean, insisting they return with him to the future to save their children from terrible fates.


title: Back to the Future

text: The 1985 portion of the film features a cast that includes Claudia Wells as Marty's girlfriend Jennifer Parker, and Marc McClure and Wendie Jo Sperber as Marty's siblings Dave McFly and Linda McFly, respectively. Elsa Raven portrays the Clocktower Lady. Singer Huey Lewis cameos as a judge for the Battle of the Bands contest. Richard L. Duran and Jeff O'Haco portray the Libyan terrorists.


title: Back to the Future

text: Cast appearing in the 1955 portion includes George DiCenzo and Frances Lee McCain as, respectively, Lorraine's parents Sam and Stella Baines, and Jason Hervey as Lorraine's younger brother Milton. Biff's gang includes Jeffrey Jay Cohen as Skinhead, Casey Siemaszko as , and Billy Zane as Match. Norman Alden plays the cafe owner Lou and Donald Fullilove appears as his employee (and future mayor) Goldie Wilson. Harry Waters Jr. portrays Chuck Berry's cousin Marvin Berry, Will Hare appears as Pa Peabody, and Courtney Gains portrays Dixon, the youth who interrupts George's and Lorraine's dance. James Tolkan portrays Hill Valley high school principal Strickland in both 1955 and 1985.


title: Back to the Future

text: Long-time collaborators Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis conceived of "Back to the Future" in 1980. They wanted to develop a film about time travel but were struggling for a satisfying narrative and were desperate for a successful project following the critical or commercial failures of their recent efforts, made in collaboration with Zemeckis' mentor Steven Spielberg.


title: Back to the Future

text: Following the release of their comedy "Used Cars" (1980), Gale visited his parents and came across his father's high school yearbook. Gale questioned whether he and his father would have been friends had they attended school together. He did not think so but realized he could test his theory if he could travel back to a time when he and his parents were a similar age. He shared the idea with Zemeckis, who recalled his mother's childhood stories were often contradictory.


title: Back to the Future

text: Gale and Zemeckis began a draft in late 1980. They sketched and acted out each scene to help develop the dialogue and actions. They believed many time travel films focused on the past being immutable and wanted to show the past being altered and the impact those changes would have on the future. In the draft, video pirate Professor Brown builds a time machine that sends his young friend Marty back to the 1950s where he interrupts his parents' first meeting. In September 1980, Gale and Zemeckis pitched their idea to Columbia Pictures president Frank Price, who had liked "Used Cars" and was keen to work with the pair. Gale recalled having to rein in Zemeckis' enthusiastic pitch before Price had time to change his mind. Gale and Zemeckis completed the first draft for Price on February21, 1981, but Price believed it needed significant refinement.


title: Back to the Future

text: Some early concepts were abandoned. Originally, Marty's actions in 1955 had a more significant impact on the future, making 1985 more futuristic and advanced, but every person who read the script took issue with the idea. Marty's father also became a boxer, a result of his knockout punch on Biff. The time machine was a stationary object moved around on the back of a truck. Inspired by the documentary "The Atomic Cafe", the drained time machine was written to be powered by Marty driving it into a nuclear explosion, combined with an additional ingredient—Coca-Cola. Gale and Zemeckis took inspiration from tales of legendary scientists, opting to make the time machine's creator an individual instead of a faceless corporation or government. The pair wanted the inciting time travel incident to be an accident so that it would not appear that the hero was seeking personal gain.


title: Back to the Future

text: Gale and Zemeckis drew humor from the cultural contrasts between 1955 and 1985, such as Marty entering a 1955 soda shop while wearing 1985 clothing. The shop owner asks Marty if he is a sailor because his down vest resembles a life preserver. They also identified conveniences of 1985 that Marty had taken for granted, but would be denied in 1955. Gale and Zemeckis struggled as they were in their 30s and did not particularly self-identify with either era. They were inspired by the All-American aesthetic of films by Frank Capra featuring white picket fences and exaggerated characters like Biff, "The Twilight Zone", science-fiction films, and books by Robert Silverberg and Robert A. Heinlein. The romantic relationship between 1955 Lorraine and her future son was one of the more difficult writing challenges. Gale and Zemeckis attempted to take the concept as far as possible to keep the audience on edge. They believed it had to be Lorraine who stopped the relationship; she remarks that kissing Marty feels like kissing her brother. Gale jokingly said no one asked how she could make that comparison, but that audiences would accept it because they did not want the relationship to happen. The second draft was completed by April7, 1981.


title: Back to the Future

text: Price opted not to green-light the second draft; although he liked it, he did not believe it would appeal to anyone else. The most successful comedies at the time, such as "Animal House" (1978), "Porky's" (1981), and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982), featured sexual and bawdy elements; "Back to the Future" was considered too tame in comparison. The project went into turnaround—a process allowing other studios to purchase the idea. The script was rejected some 40 times, sometimes multiple times by the same studios. Reasons given included the concept being unappealing to contemporary rebellious youth and the failures of other time travel films, such as "The Final Countdown" (1980) and "Time Bandits" (1981). Walt Disney Productions turned it down because they considered Marty's fighting off his future mother's advances too risqué for their brand. The only supporter of the project was Spielberg, but with their previous collaborations considered relative failures, Gale and Zemeckis feared another misstep would suggest they could only get work through being friends with Spielberg.


title: Back to the Future

text: Zemeckis accepted the next project offered to him, "Romancing the Stone" (1984). Against expectations, the film was a significant success, and gave Zemeckis enough credibility to return to "Back to the Future". Zemeckis held a grudge against the studios that had rejected the project and turned to Spielberg, who had set up his own production company, Amblin Entertainment, at Universal Studios, where Price now worked. Spielberg disliked Price because he had rejected "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) and demanded his involvement in "Back to the Future" be minimal. Sidney Sheinberg installed himself as chief executive to oversee the studio's investment in the project. Amblin executives Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall joined Spielberg as the film's executive producers.


title: Back to the Future

text: However, rights to "Back to the Future" remained with Columbia Pictures. Price's successor at Columbia Pictures, Guy McElwaine, was developing a satire of the Universal-owned noir film "Double Indemnity" (1944) called "Big Trouble" (1986). Its similarities to "Double Indemnity" meant the studio would violate Universal Pictures' copyright. With production imminent, McElwaine asked for the rights from Price; in exchange, Price obtained the rights to "Back to the Future".


title: Back to the Future

text: Sheinberg suggested modifications to the film including changing the title to "Space Man from Pluto", believing "Back to the Future" would not resonate with audiences. Gale and Zemeckis did not know how to reject Sheinberg's suggestions without risking his ire. Spielberg intervened, sending Sheinberg a memo reading: "Hi Sid, thanks for your most humorous memo, we all got a big laugh out of it, keep 'em coming." Spielberg knew Sheinberg would be too embarrassed to admit his memo was to be taken seriously. Sheinberg later claimed the story was "bullshit". Sheinberg also wanted to change the name of Marty's mother from Meg to Lorraine (a tribute to his wife Lorraine Gary), and rename Professor Brown to Doc Brown because he considered it more accessible. The third draft was completed by July 1984. The lengthy development allowed Gale and Zemeckis to refine the script's jokes, especially ones that had become dated since 1980. The joke about former actor Ronald Reagan becoming president of the United States remained following his re-election in 1984.


title: Back to the Future

text: Michael J. Fox was the first choice to portray Marty McFly. Gale and Zemeckis believed his acting timing in the sitcom "Family Ties" (1982–1989) as the sophisticated Alex P. Keaton could be translated to Marty's clumsiness. Spielberg asked the show's producer Gary David Goldberg to have Fox read the script. Concerned Fox's absence would damage "Family Ties" success—especially with fellow star Meredith Baxter on maternity leave—Goldberg did not give Fox the script. Other young stars were considered, including: John Cusack, C. Thomas Howell, Johnny Depp, Ralph Macchio, Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, Ben Stiller, Peter DeLuise, Billy Zane, George Newbern, Robert Downey Jr., Christopher Collet, Matthew Modine, and Corey Hart (who declined to audition). Howell was the frontrunner, but Sheinberg preferred Eric Stoltz, who had impressed with his portrayal of Rocky Dennis in an early screening of the drama film "Mask" (1985). With the filming date approaching, Zemeckis opted for Stoltz. Sheinberg promised that if Stoltz did not work out they could reshoot the film. The character's name was derived from "Used Cars" production assistant Marty Casella. Zemeckis suggested McFly because it sounded "All-American".


title: Back to the Future

text: Among others, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow, Dudley Moore, Ron Silver, Robin Williams, John Cleese, Mandy Patinkin, Gene Hackman, and James Woods were considered for the role of Doc Brown. Producer Neil Canton suggested Lithgow, having worked with him and Christopher Lloyd on "Buckaroo Banzai" (1984). Lithgow was unavailable, and the role was offered to Lloyd. He was reluctant to join the production until a friend encouraged him to take the part. Albert Einstein and conductor Leopold Stokowski inspired Lloyd's wild, white hair. Lloyd affected a hunched posture to lower his height closer to the tall Fox.


title: Back to the Future

text: The filmmakers became aware of Lea Thompson while researching Stoltz in the comedy-drama "The Wild Life" (1984). Crispin Glover used many of his own mannerisms in portraying George McFly. Gale described his performance as "nuts", and Zemeckis was reportedly unhappy with Glover's performance choices, instructing him to be more restrained as the older George. Glover lost his voice during filming and later dubbed in some lines. Deluise, Zane, Tim Robbins, and J. J. Cohen were considered to play Biff Tannen. Cohen was not considered intimidating enough against Stoltz, and the role went to Thomas F. Wilson; his first feature starring role. Zane and Cohen were cast as Biff's minions Match and Skinhead instead. Tannen's name was taken from Universal Studios executive Ned Tanen, who had been unpleasant with Gale and Zemeckis.


title: Back to the Future

text: Melora Hardin was cast as Jennifer Parker on a two-film contract. After Stoltz's replacement, the crew were polled about Hardin being taller than Fox; the female crew overwhelmingly voted Marty should not be shorter than his girlfriend. Hardin was replaced by Claudia Wells, who had previously declined the role because of her commitment to the short-lived television series "Off the Rack" (1984). Actresses Kyra Sedgwick and Jill Schoelen were also considered; Schoelen was told she looked too "exotic" and not sufficiently All-American. Doc Brown's pet, a dog named Einstein, was originally scripted as a chimpanzee named Shemp. Sheinberg insisted films featuring chimps never did well. James Tolkan was the first choice for Principal Strickland after Zemeckis saw him in the crime drama "Prince of the City" (1981). Singer and soundtrack contributor Huey Lewis cameos as a Battle of the Bands judge. Lewis agreed to appear as long as he was uncredited and could wear a disguise. Gale cameos as the hand in the radiation suit tapping the DeLorean time display.


title: Back to the Future

text: Principal photography began November26, 1984, on a 14-week schedule set to conclude on February28, 1985, with an estimated $14million budget. Filming took place mainly at the Universal Studios lot and on location in California. Dean Cundey served as the cinematographer; he and Zemeckis had collaborated on "Romancing the Stone". Editor Arthur Schmidt was hired after Zemeckis saw his work on "Firstborn" (1984); Schmidt recommended hiring Harry Keramidas as co-editor. Frank Marshall also served as a second unit director.


title: Back to the Future

text: Owing to the tight schedule, editing occurred concurrently with filming. On December30, 1984, Zemeckis reviewed the existing scenes with Schmidt and Keramidas. Zemeckis was reluctant to review the footage because he would be self-critical, but he believed Stoltz's acting was not working, and had already listed several scenes he wanted to reshoot. Zemeckis called in Gale and the producers to show them the footage; they agreed Stoltz was not right for the part. Stoltz was performing the role with an intense and serious tone, not the "screwball" energy they desired. Gale characterized Stoltz as a good actor in the wrong role.


title: Back to the Future

text: Stoltz utilized method acting and stayed in character as Marty when not filming, refusing to answer to his own name. This resulted in feuding with some of the cast and crew, including Wilson. Stoltz put his full strength into pushing Wilson rather than imitating doing so, despite Wilson's protests. Spielberg said Zemeckis needed a replacement in place before firing Stoltz, or he risked the production being canceled. Zemeckis and the producers asked Sheinberg for permission to do whatever was necessary to accommodate Fox's participation; Spielberg made another call to Goldberg. On January3, 1985, Goldberg told Fox about withholding the "Back to the Future" script from him, and the filmmakers wanted to know if he was interested. Baxter had returned to the show, and they could be more flexible with Fox as long as "Family Ties" took priority. Fox agreed to join without reading the script. The transition could not take place immediately and filming continued with Stoltz in the lead role, unaware he was to be replaced.


title: Back to the Future

text: On January10, 1985, Zemeckis informed Stoltz that he was no longer a part of the film. Zemeckis described it as "the hardest meeting I've ever had in my life and it was all my fault. I broke [Stoltz's] heart." Stoltz was reported to have told his make-up artist he was not a comedian and did not understand why he was cast. The producers informed the principal cast and the rest of the crew much of the film would be re-shot. Cundey said most of the crew saw Stoltz's removal as "good news". Crew members later said there were obvious signs Stoltz would be replaced; the set designers were told not to change the 1955 set, and a scene involving a discussion between Marty and Doc was filmed only showing Doc. Stoltz had shot numerous key scenes including Marty traveling to 1955 in the DeLorean, it breaking down as he prepares to return to 1985, and his final scene was Marty's return to 1985. Filming fell behind schedule, with 34 days of filming lost and an additional cost of $3.5–$4million, including Stoltz receiving his salary in full. Universal Pictures' marketing team was tasked with mitigating the negative publicity from a project replacing its main star.


title: Back to the Future

text: Fox's first day on set was January15, 1985. He filmed "Family Ties" during the day before traveling to the "Back to the Future" filming location. Often, he would not return home until early the following morning, and on weekends, the schedule was pushed back further as "Family Ties" was filmed in front of a live audience. The teamsters dropping Fox at home regularly had to carry the actor to bed. This continued until April, when "Family Ties" finished filming. Gale said Fox's youth meant he could cope with less sleep than usual; Fox described it as exhausting, but worth the effort. Further into the filming schedule, Fox was energetic during his scenes but struggled to stay awake off set. He ad-libbed some lines when he forgot the intended dialog, and recalled looking for a camcorder on the "Family Ties" set, before realizing it was a prop on "Back to the Future". He also had to learn to mimic playing the guitar and choreographed skateboarding routines taught by Per Welinder and Bob Schmelzer.


title: Back to the Future

text: To compensate for his conflicting schedules and reduce production costs, some scenes involving Marty were shot without Fox, who filmed his part separately. Re-shooting scenes gave the filmmakers the opportunity to identify problems and implement new ideas. To avoid building an additional classroom set, the opening pan across the array of clocks in Doc Brown's laboratory replaced an opening scene where Marty sets off a fire alarm to get out of detention. The height differences between Stoltz and Fox necessitated other changes, such as a scene of Fox teaching George how to punch, because Fox could not reach the necessary prop. According to Gale, once Fox replaced Stoltz, the atmosphere on set improved. Thompson anecdotally said while Stoltz ate lunch alone in his trailer, Fox ate lunch with the cast and crew.


title: Back to the Future

text: The production used many locations in and around Los Angeles. The clock tower is a structure on the Universal Studios Lot in Universal City, California. When filmed from below, Lloyd was positioned on a recreation of the clock tower, but when filmed from above, Lloyd stood atop the tower itself. Production designer Lawrence G. Paull insisted on using the Universal backlot sets because of the difficulties and costs involved in making an on-location area look 1955 appropriate. Whittier High School in the city of Whittier is the Hill Valley high school. Marty's home and the surrounding Lyon estates are in Arleta, Los Angeles. Several of the residential locations were filmed in Pasadena: Lorraine's and George's 1955 homes, and Doc Brown's 1955 home—its exterior is the Gamble House—and interiors were shot at the historic Blacker House. Puente Hills Mall in Rowland Heights serves as the Twin Pines mall, that later becomes the Lone Pine mall after Marty knocks over one of the trees at Twin Pines ranch in 1955, which was filmed at the Walt Disney Studios-owned Golden Oak Ranch in Newhall, Santa Clarita, California. Other locations include the basement of the Hollywood United Methodist Church where the school dance was filmed, and Griffith Park, where Marty begins his drive to the courthouse to return to 1985, passing by a lamp post outside of the Greek Theatre.


title: Back to the Future

text: Filming concluded after 107 days on April 26, 1985. The final day of filming included pick-up shots of Marty and Einstein the dog in the DeLorean.


title: Back to the Future

text: Arthur F. Repola served as the post-production supervisor, but he became responsible for many aspects outside of his role, including budgets, storyboarding, and general problem-solving. Those roles belonged to Kennedy and Marshall but both were occupied on other films. Schmidt found editing the film difficult because he had to imagine where the special effects would later be added; there was no time or budget to re-edit afterward.


title: Back to the Future

text: A rough version of the movie was cut together for a test screening at Century 22 theater in San Jose, California, in mid-May 1985, just three weeks after filming concluded. The audience was seemingly uninterested at the exposition-heavy opening but became engaged after the DeLorean appeared. At a test screening in Long Beach, California, 94% of the audience responded they would definitely recommend the film; 99% rated it very good or excellent. Gale said there was some concern when Doc's dog Einstein was sent through time, as the audience believed he had been killed. The film was re-cut and screened again at the Alfred Hitchcock theater at Universal Studios for executives, including Sheinberg. He was so impressed he moved the scheduled release date forward to July3, 1985, to give it more time in theaters during the peak summer season. The new date reduced the post-production schedule to just nine weeks for special effects and editing. Zemeckis spent much of June rushing to finish the film.


title: Back to the Future

text: Deleted scenes include: Doc looking at an issue of "Playboy", remarking the future looks better; a scene of 1985 George being coerced into buying a large amount of peanut brittle from a young girl; a scene of young George being trapped in a phone booth by the man who interrupts his dance with Lorraine; and the scene of Marty pretending to be "Darth Vader", which was shortened. Zemeckis considered cutting the "Johnny B. Goode" performance because it did not advance the story, but test audiences reacted well to it. There is a dispute if a shot of Stoltz's hand is in the finished film in the scene where Marty punches Biff. Gale noted it is impossible to tell without checking the original film negative, which would risk damaging it. The final 116minute cut was completed on June23, 1985. Universal Studios took out a full-page advertisement in "Variety" magazine, thanking the post-production crew for completing their work on time. The final budget was $19million.


title: Back to the Future

text: Alan Silvestri composed the score for "Back to the Future"; he had worked with Zemeckis on "Romancing the Stone". The only direction Zemeckis gave him was "it's got to be big". Silvestri used an orchestral score to create a sound that contrasted with the small-town setting and the significant time-changing events occurring within it. He wanted a heroic theme that would be instantly recognizable.


title: Back to the Future

text: Huey Lewis was approached to write a theme song for the film; he was coming off the success of his recent album "Sports". He met with Gale, Spielberg, and Zemeckis, who intended that Huey Lewis and the News be Marty's favorite band. Though flattered, Lewis did not want to participate because he did not know how to write film songs and did not want to write one called "Back to the Future". Zemeckis assured Lewis he could write any song he wanted. Lewis agreed to submit the next song he wrote, which was "The Power of Love". Lewis maintains "Power of Love" was his first submission, but Zemeckis recalled a different first song that was rejected. Lewis later acquiesced to Zemeckis' request for a second song, "Back in Time".


title: Back to the Future

text: Musician Eddie Van Halen performed the guitar riff Marty (dressed as "Darth Vader") uses to wake George. The filmmakers wanted to use Van Halen's music, but the band refused to take part, so Eddie took part on his own. Mark Campbell provided Marty's singing voice, but did not receive credit as the filmmakers wanted to pretend Fox was singing. When music supervisor Bones Howe learned of this, he secured Campbell a small percentage of the soundtrack revenue as compensation. Paul Hanson taught Fox how to use a guitar to play "Johnny B. Goode", and choreographer Brad Jeffries spent four weeks teaching Fox to replicate various rock star moves popularized by artists like Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, and Chuck Berry. Berry withheld permission to use "Johnny B. Goode" until the day before filming, receiving $50,000 for the rights. Harry Waters Jr. provided the vocals on "Earth Angel".


title: Back to the Future

text: Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) developed the film's special effects under the supervision of Ken Ralston and Kevin Pike. It contains approximately 27–32 special effects shots, compared to the 300 such shots typical in contemporaneous higher-budget films. Despite working simultaneously on "The Goonies" and "Cocoon", Ralston took on the additional project because it required relatively few effects, and he wanted to realize the planned ending of Marty driving the time machine into a nuclear explosion. The team had a nine-and-a-half-week schedule, reduced to less than nine once Universal Pictures moved up the release date. ILM was working on "Back to the Future" up to the moment it had to be handed over to print the theatrical film reels.


title: Back to the Future

text: The tight schedule affected the special effects' quality. Ralston was disappointed by the scene where Marty's hand fades away as his future is altered. Fox was filmed separately from his hand and the two were composited together; the hand was filmed with a wide-angle lens, making it appear too large and it had to be scaled down. Zemeckis wanted a subtle fade, but it resulted in a small circle of the hand fading away and there was no time to fix it. In the same scene, Marty and his siblings fade away from a photo. ILM found it difficult to fade the photo's individual aspects, especially as it was moving on the neck of a guitar. A replica of the guitar neck was constructed at four times the normal size; the guitar strings were made of cable up to a quarter-inch thick. An 11 by 14 inch aluminum plate was attached to hold the enlarged photograph. ILM used a version of the photo without Marty or his siblings and individually pasted each character into the photo. When this failed, four different photos were used: one containing the background, and one for each McFly sibling. A mechanical camera cycled through each photo and printed it to the film. The enlarged guitar was moved around to add to the realism.


title: Back to the Future

text: The original nuclear explosion ending was considered too complicated and expensive, with an estimated cost of $1million. Art director Andrew Probert storyboarded the scene which would have been created using sets and miniatures. With the ending moved to the clock tower, ILM researched storms to achieve the right aesthetic. Clouds were constructed from polyester fiberfill, suspended in a net and filmed from above while Ralston shone a powerful light from below. He used a rheostat to rapidly change the lights' intensity to imitate lightning.


title: Back to the Future

text: Developed by Wes Takahashi's animation department, the lightning bolt that strikes the clock tower was described as "the largest bolt of lightning in cinematic history". It was intended to originate in the distance and move closer, but the footage was filmed too close to the tower and there was insufficient space between it and the top of the frame. There was also an issue with showing the bolt onscreen for too long as it made it more obviously animated. The frame count was reduced but the bolt did not look chaotic enough. Zemeckis picked out a single frame of the bolt in an "S" formation and asked that the effect focus on that shape and be reduced to 20 frames. The bolt was drawn in black ink on white paper; diffusion effects and a glow were added by the optical department.


title: Back to the Future

text: The DeLorean was developed under the supervision of Lawrence Paull, who designed it with artist Ron Cobb and illustrator Andrew Probert. They intended for the vehicle to look fixed together from common parts. The time machine was originally conceived as a stationary device; at one point it was a refrigerator. Spielberg vetoed the idea, concerned child viewers might attempt to climb into one. Zemeckis suggested the DeLorean because it offered mobility and a unique design; the gull-wing doors would appear like an alien UFO to a 1950s family. The Ford Motor Company offered $75,000 to use a Ford Mustang instead; Gale responded, "Doc Brown doesn't drive a fucking Mustang". Michael Fink was hired as the art department liaison and tasked with realizing Cobb's sketches and overseeing the car's construction. He was recruited by Paull and Canton, who had worked with him on "Blade Runner" (1982) and "Buckaroo Bonzai", respectively. Fink had a project lined up but agreed to help in the free weeks he had remaining. Three DeLoreans used were purchased from a collector—one for stunts, one for special effects, and a more detailed hero version for close-up shots. They were unreliable and often broke down. was chosen as the time travel speed because it was easy to remember and looked "cool" on the speedometer.


title: Back to the Future

text: The flying DeLorean in the final scene used a combination of live-action footage, animation, and a 1:5 scale (approximately long) model built by Steve Gawley and the model shop crew. The act of the DeLorean traveling through time was called the 'time slice' effect. Zemeckis knew only that he wanted the transition to be violent. He described it like a "Neanderthal sitting on the hood of the DeLorean and chipping away the fabric of time in front of him". The effect is so quick as to be imperceptible. Zemeckis preferred this as he did not want the audience to think too much about how everything worked.


title: Back to the Future

text: Actual brand names, such as Texaco, were used to make the sets more realistic, and the producers mandated the inclusion of certain brands that had paid to appear in the film. An unidentified gas company offered a large sum to be included, but Paull used Texaco because it reminded him of a joke from "The Milton Berle Show". This choice led to some disputes, such as Pepsi parent company, PepsiCo, wanting to omit a joke about the Tab drink made by its rival Coca-Cola. Twenty clock wranglers were needed to synch up the many clocks in the opening scene, and pulleys were used to start them simultaneously. Drew Struzan produced the film's poster. The producers hoped his in-demand poster artwork would generate further interest in the film.


title: Back to the Future

text: The film uses a stylized adaptation of 1950s aesthetics closer to television show interpretations than an exact recreation. Modern technologies were used—such as contemporary fabrics—because the designers believed the fashions of the time were not interesting. To represent characters across three decades, the filmmakers did not want to have older actors stand in for the younger ones, believing the change would be obvious and distracting. Special effects artist Ken Chase performed make-up tests on the young actors to age them; initial results were discouraging. He created a prosthetic neck and a bald cap with a receding hairline for Glover, but considered them excessive. Chase found it difficult to balance aging the actors while retaining enough of their natural appearance so they remained recognizable.


title: Back to the Future

text: Casts were made of the actors' faces, from which plaster molds were made. Chase sculpted more subtle effects over the plaster molds using latex. For Lorraine, he crafted jowls and eye bags, plus body padding to reflect her increased weight and alcohol abuse. Instead of a receding hairline, Chase only changed the style of George's hair and used prosthetics to give him a less-defined jawline. Biff's character changed more significantly because Chase wanted him to look "obnoxious"; he was fattened, given sideburns, and a comb over hairstyle to hide a growing bald spot. The prosthetics were combined with makeup and lighting to further age the characters.


title: Back to the Future

text: Chase found the work frustrating compared to his experiences with more fantastical prostheses that made it easier to hide defects. The rubber latex did not reflect light the same way as natural skin, so Chase used a stippling process—creating a pattern with small dots—to variegate the actors' faces to better conceal where the skin and prosthetics met; close-up shots were avoided. Doc's appearance was not altered significantly. Chase painted latex on Lloyd which, when removed, caused crinkles in the skin, onto which other elements, such as liver spots and shadows, were painted.


title: Back to the Future

text: By June 1985, the theatrical industry had experienced a 14% decline in ticket sales over the previous year's $4billion record sales. The summer period (beginning the final week of May) had 45 films scheduled for release, including "", "The Goonies", "Brewster's Millions", "Fletch", and the latest James Bond film "A View to a Kill". This 25% increase over the previous year's releases led to concerns among industry professionals the competition would divide audiences and limit financial returns, at a time when the average cost of making and marketing a film had increased to $14.5million and $7million, respectively. A higher budget to secure a popular, and thus profitable, cast was considered a suitable risk. Most films scheduled for release were aimed at younger audiences, focusing on fantasy and the supernatural. Reflecting the times, these fantasy elements often employed a technological source instead of a magical one. Only a few films, like "Cocoon" and "Prizzi's Honor", targeted adults.


title: Back to the Future

text: Initially, "Back to the Future" was scheduled to be released in May 1985, but was pushed back to June21, the earliest Zemeckis could have the film ready. The delay caused by Stoltz's replacement pushed the release back to July19, and later to August. Sheinberg moved the release date forward to July3, giving it an extra 16 days of theatrical screen time during the industry's most profitable period of the year. The move offered about 100,000 extra screenings, together worth an estimated $40million. He said he also wanted to avoid the negative perception of films released later in the summer period; other blockbuster films were usually released early. The change required renegotiations with theater owners to secure screens in an already-crowded marketplace. In some cities, it was legally required that exhibitors be shown a film prior to purchase; an unfinished cut of the film was shown to theater owners and young test audiences. They described it as lesser than "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" or "Ghostbusters", but still a guaranteed box office hit. Fox was unavailable for promotional work because he was filming "Family Ties Vacation" (1985) in London.


title: Back to the Future

text: In the United States (U.S.) and Canada, "Back to the Future" received a wide release on July3, 1985, ahead of the Independence Day holiday weekend. The film earned $3.6million during the opening Wednesday and Thursday, and a further $11.3million during its inaugural weekend from 1,420 theaters—an average of $7,853 per theater. "Back to the Future" finished as the number one film of the weekend ahead of Western, "Pale Rider" ($7million), in its second weekend, and "Rambo: First Blood Part II" ($6.4million) in its seventh. It retained the number one position in its second weekend with a further gross of $10.6million, ahead of the debuting action film "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" ($7.8million) and "Cocoon" ($5million), and in its third weekend, ahead of the re-release of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" ($8.8million) and "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" ($5.4million). Although it fell to number two in its fourth weekend, behind the debuting "National Lampoon's European Vacation" ($12.3million), "Back to the Future" regained the number one position in its fifth weekend and remained there for the following eight weeks. Recalling the opening weeks, Gale said, "our second weekend was higher than our first weekend, which is indicative of great word of mouth."


title: Back to the Future

text: The film remained a steady success, earning $155million by October, surpassing "Rambo: First Blood Part II"s $149million box office earnings to become the year's highest-grossing film. In total, "Back to the Future" was the number one film for 11 of its 12 first weeks of release and remained in the top ten highest-grossing films for a total 24 weeks. By the end of its theatrical run, "Back to the Future" earned an approximate box office gross of $210.6million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1985, ahead of "Rambo: First Blood Part II" ($150.4million), the sports drama "Rocky IV" ($127.9million), and the drama "The Color Purple" ($94.2million). Box Office Mojo estimated over 59million tickets were sold. Industry experts suggest as of 1997, the box office returns to the studio—minus the theaters' share—was $105.5million.


title: Back to the Future

text: The year was considered an unsuccessful one for film. Despite a record number of film releases, ticket sales were down 17% compared with 1984. Industry executives blamed the problem, in part, on a lack of originality, and a glut of youth-oriented films targeted at those under 18. Only "Back to the Future" and "Rambo: First Blood Part II" were considered blockbusters, earning more than double the box office of "Cocoon". Films offering escapism and pro-America themes also fared well. After years of poor performances, "Back to the Future", alongside "Fletch", "Brewster's Millions", and "Mask", reversed Universal Pictures' fortunes.


title: Back to the Future

text: Outside the U.S. and Canada, the film earned a further estimated $170.5million, making it the third-highest-grossing film of the year, behind the romantic drama "Out of Africa" ($179.1million) and "Rocky IV" ($172.6million). Cumulatively, "Back to the Future" earned a worldwide gross of $381.1million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1985, ahead of "Rocky IV" ($300.5million) and "Rambo: First Blood Part II" ($300.4million). "Back to the Future" has received several theatrical re-releases to celebrate anniversaries, including a remastered version screened in 2010. These releases have raised the film's worldwide total to $388.8million.


title: Back to the Future

text: "Back to the Future" received generally positive reviews from critics. Most reviewers agreed "Back to the Future" was among the year's most entertaining films, partly because of its focus on storytelling instead of pure spectacle. Attansio and Gene Siskel argued that while "Back to the Future" appeared to be "everything wrong" with youth-targeted films, it successfully subverted expectations by focusing on a relatable narrative with an emotional core, and employed irreverent, good-natured humor. They, alongside Richard Corliss, agreed that it would endure because it offered something for children and adults. Some reviewers, such as Corliss and Leonard Maltin agreed that the exposition-heavy opening was "Back to the Future"s weakest part, but led into a stronger half filled with "wit", "wonder", "comic epiphany", and original ideas.


title: Back to the Future

text: Dave Kehr remarked that Gale and Zemeckis were among the first generation of filmmakers openly influenced by growing up on televised entertainment, and their inspirations are evident throughout. "The Hollywood Reporter" said that despite Spielberg's producer role, it was clearly Zemeckis' vision, being more subtle, gentler, and "less noisy." Some reviewers compared it favorably to the 1946 fantasy drama "It's a Wonderful Life", which offered a similar premise of a central character changing his future. Roger Ebert said the film offered humanity, charm, humor, and many surprises that were among its "greatest pleasures". Sheila Benson was more critical; she found "Back to the Future" to be overproduced and underdeveloped, featuring a hollow ending focused on materialistic rewards and lacking tension because Marty's success never seemed in doubt. Siskel countered that the tension came from defying the expectations of a typical time travel film by making the past mutable and the future uncertain. Paul Attanasio criticized some aspects that seemed to be "mechanically" designed to create the broadest audience appeal.


title: Back to the Future

text: The cast performances were generally well received, particularly those of Fox, Lloyd, Thompson, and Glover. Reviewers consistently praised Fox's "appealing" performance, although some believed Lloyd's performance outshone the rest. Kehr and Attanasio considered his uncontrolled performance and unique "intensity" a tribute to mad scientist characters, portrayed by the likes of Sid Caesar and John Belushi, while creating the definitive scientist archetype for modern audiences. In contrast, Vincent Canby and "Variety"s review said that Thompson's "deceptively passionate" performance and Glover's bumbling-to-confident character provided "Back to the Future"s standout performances. Some reviewers considered the use of Libyan terrorists, an actual fear at the time, to be in poor taste.


title: Back to the Future

text: "Back to the Future" received four nominations at the 43rd Golden Globe Awards, for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) (Fox), Best Original Song ("The Power of Love"), and Best Screenplay (Gale and Zemeckis). The film was also named Favorite Motion Picture at the 12th People's Choice Awards. At the 1986 Academy Awards, "Back to the Future" received one award for Best Sound Effects Editing (Charles L. Campbell and Robert Rutledge). It received a further three nominations: Best Original Screenplay (Gale and Zemeckis); Best Sound (Bill Varney, B. Tennyson Sebastian II, Robert Thirlwell, and William B. Kaplan); and Best Original Song ("The Power of Love").


title: Back to the Future

text: At the 39th British Academy Film Awards, "Back to the Future" received five nominations, including Best Film, Best Original Screenplay (Gale and Zemeckis), Best Visual Effects (Pike and Ralston), Best Production Design (Paull), and Best Editing (Schmidt and Keramidas). At the 13th Saturn Awards, the film won three awards: Best Science Fiction Film, Best Actor (Fox), and Best Special Effects (Pike). It also won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. "Back to the Future" performed well internationally: it won Best Foreign Producer (Spielberg) and Best Foreign Screenplay at the David di Donatello awards (Italy), Outstanding Foreign Film from the Japan Academy, and the Goldene Leinwand (Germany) for selling more than 3million tickets in its first 18 months.


title: Back to the Future

text: "Back to the Future" was released on VHS on May22, 1986, priced at $79.95, becoming the first film to sell 450,000 units at that price point, and was also the most-rented cassette of the year. A sequel was not planned until after "Back to the Future"s theatrical release, and a "To Be Continued..." graphic was appended to the end of the home release to promote awareness of future films. When "Back to the Future" was released on DVD in 2002, the graphic was removed because Gale and Zemeckis wanted it to be faithful to an in-theater experience. It debuted on Blu-ray in 2010 for the film's 25th anniversary. The release featured a six-part documentary including interviews with the cast and crew, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and associated music videos from all three films. The release also included the public debut of footage of Stoltz portraying Marty McFly. For its 35th anniversary in 2020, a remastered 4K Ultra HD version was released on Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray. Along with extras included in previous releases, this edition included audition footage and an exploration of the film's props hosted by Gale. Limited edition steelbook cases and a display replicate of the levitating hoverboard from "Back to the Future PartII" were also available.


title: Back to the Future

text: The "Back to the Future" soundtrack was released in July 1985 on cassette tape, LP record, and Compact disc (CD). The soundtrack's lead single, "The Power of Love", peaked at number one on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. Sales were initially slow, but it eventually peaked at number 12 on the "Billboard" 200, in part because of the success of "The Power of Love". received a limited release in 2009 on CD, containing the film score and unreleased variations. The scores for all three "Back to the Future" films were first released on LP record in 2016, individually and as a collection. Silvestri supervised the remaster of the original master recordings, including previously unreleased tracks, and Gale contributed liner notes.


title: Back to the Future

text: In 1985, film merchandising was a relatively new concept, popularized by the original "Star Wars" film trilogy (1977–1983). As "Back to the Future" was not specifically aimed at children, there was no significant merchandising accompanying its release. Although a novelization by George Gipe was released in 1985, one of the earliest items for children, a rideable DeLorean, was not released until 1986. The film and its sequels have since been represented across a wide variety of merchandise including: Playmobil, playing cards, clothing, pottery, posters, board games, sculpted figures, plush toys, Funko POP! figures, action figures, Hot Wheels and die-cast vehicles, books, music albums, and Christmas ornaments.


title: Back to the Future

text: "Back to the Future" received several video game adaptations. "Back to the Future" was released alongside the film for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. An arcade-adventure game, "Back to the Future", was released in 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Gale called it one of the worst games ever made and advised people against purchasing it. "" was released in 1990, although Fox refused permission for the game to use his likeness. An episodic graphic adventure game, "", was released in 2010. Gale contributed to the game's narrative, which takes place after the events of the third film. An area in "Lego Dimensions" is based on "Back to the Future" and features voice work by Lloyd.


title: Back to the Future

text: "", a simulator ride, ran from 1991 to 2007 at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida. The ride's development was supervised by Spielberg and featured Doc Brown (Lloyd) chasing down Biff (Wilson) who has stolen the DeLorean. A version of the ride at Universal Studios Japan ran from 2001 to 2016. A "Back to the Future"-themed Monopoly board-game was released in 2015. A Funko board game was released in 2020. It casts players as one of the main characters from the films to battle different Tannens across history.


title: Back to the Future

text: There have been several books about the making of the film series. "We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy" is an oral history by those involved in the production. "Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History"—a book chronicling the development of the entire "Back to the Future" franchise—was released in 2015. The British Film Institute released "BFI Film Classics: Back to the Future" about the film's background. The series also includes comic books detailing Doc's and Marty's adventures before and after the events depicted in the films. A crossover between the "Back to the Future" and Transformers franchises included a transforming DeLorean toy and associated comic books.


title: Back to the Future

text: The main theme of "Back to the Future" concerns taking control and personal responsibility over one's own destiny: A situation can be changed even if it seems otherwise impossible to overcome. Thompson said the film represents how one moment can have a significant and lasting impact on a person's life. Gale believed Doc provided the perfect summary of the series' running theme, when in "Back to the Future Part III" he said: "Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one."


title: Back to the Future

text: At the start of the film, Marty is rejected at Battle of the Bands and admits he fears his ambitions will remain unrealized. He worries he will end up like his parents and sees direct evidence in 1955 of George, also afraid of rejection, being unable to approach Lorraine; his fears risk Marty's future. Marty sets about manipulating the past to ensure his own survival without concern for what impact his presence in 1955 is having on others. On his return to 1985, he is rewarded with wealthier parents and a nicer car, but he has simultaneously damaged Biff's future, reducing him to a valet for the McFlys. Glover criticized the morality of the film's ending, believing Marty's reward should be happy parents in love with each other, and considered it a result of the film serving corporate interests, promoting the accumulation of wealth and purchasing material objects. In 2015, Zemeckis said the ending was perfect for its time but would be different if he made it now, although Gale disagreed and said he did not apologize for the scene. American audiences generally had no issue with this ending, but it was criticized by some international audiences.


title: Back to the Future

text: Despite rejection by film studios for not being raunchy enough, "Back to the Future" alludes to sexual assault, racism, and the Oedipus complex—a psychiatric theory suggesting a child holds an unconscious sexual desire for their opposite-sexed parent, as in the relationship between Marty and his future mother Lorraine in 1955. The relationships between parents and children are the basis of many elements of the film. Thompson believed the film had remained relevant to new generations because of its core idea that Marty's and the viewer's parents were once children and had the same dreams and ambitions they do.


title: Back to the Future

text: Critics Justin Chang and Mark Olsen suggest the film can be seen as promoting Reaganism—the political positions of president Ronald Reagan—which endorses older values of the American dream, initiative, and technological advancement. The Hill Valley of 1985 is depicted as run down and in decay, while in 1955 it is presented as a more simplistic and seemingly safer time, seen through a nostalgic lens. Marty's future is bettered because he goes back to 1955 and teaches George to be more assertive and self-reliant; his initiative leads to more prosperous future for Marty with materialistic rewards. The film uses many brand names of the time, ostensibly to make the setting more realistic—such as Mountain Dew, Pepsi, and Texaco—but the filmmakers received financial compensation from the brand owners, making their inclusion promotional and commercialistic instead of artistic.


title: Back to the Future

text: Film studies lecturer Sorcha Ní Fhlainn argues that many 1980s films resulted from the American public's desire for escapism from cultural anxieties and fears, including nuclear proliferation, unemployment, crime, growing inequality, and the AIDS crisis. In her view, films like those of the "Star Wars" series and "Back to the Future" offered a childlike reassurance of safety and comfort, emphasizing idealized American values and the positive effects of instilling power in a patriarchal figure like George McFly or Darth Vader. English professor Susan Jeffords considered Doc Brown to be an analog for Reagan, a man who embraces technological advancement, who is in conflict with Libyan terrorists, and provides the means for a failing family to better themselves.


title: Back to the Future

text: The song "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry is used during the film's final act. Berry initially resisted allowing the song to be used in the film. NPR argued that while Berry's resistance may have been a matter of money, there are underlying racial issues involved in Marty, a white male, seemingly rewriting history to invent the rock and roll music genre, which was heavily influenced by African-American music. The 1955 segment also presents a distorted view of America, showing an African-American band playing at the high school dance, which would have been disallowed. Similarly, the African-American character Goldie Wilson is seemingly inspired to work towards becoming mayor by Marty's intervention, inspiring a Reagan-style initiative and self-reliance.


title: Back to the Future

text: As film fans, Gale and Zemeckis' influences are seen throughout "Back to the Future". There are references to "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), "The Shaggy Dog" (1959), "Dr. Strangelove" (1964), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), the "Star Wars" film series, and television shows including "Mister Peabody", "", "The Outer Limits", and "The Twilight Zone". There are also allusions to "The Time Machine" (1960)—based on the 1895 novella of the same name by H. G. Wells—and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain, in which the central character seemingly moves through time. The DeLorean dashboard chronometer uses the same color scheme as the time device of "The Time Machine". Critic Ray Loynd opined that Doc can be seen as a King Arthur–type, with Marty serving as his knight.


title: Back to the Future

text: Since its release, "Back to the Future" has remained an enduring popular culture touchstone, and in 2007, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. The film elevated Fox from financially struggling actor to one of the most in-demand and globally recognized stars in Hollywood, and Gale received fan mail for decades after its release. He said he understood the continuing appreciation for the original film as it was the "purest" and "most complete" in the series. Fox compared it to "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), saying it still appeals to children because they do not think of it as an old film. In 2012, Thompson called it the greatest role of her career. Dean Cundey believed it resonated with fans because it offers the fantasy of going back in time to change things and make the present better. Lloyd described being approached by fans from around the world, who have said the film inspired them to become a scientist.


title: Back to the Future

text: Many of the principal cast have reunited since the film's release. Often these reunions are for charity, including The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease (Fox was diagnosed with the disease at age 29), and Project HOPE. A 2019 reunion for the TCM Classic Film Festival featured the 4K restoration premiere of "Back to the Future". During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Josh Gad hosted a "Back to the Future" retrospective featuring many cast and crew. The cast has also appeared in advertisements only loosely related to "Back to the Future", trading on their associated popularity.


title: Back to the Future

text: The film has global popular appeal, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Japan. On October 21, 2015—the day Doc and Marty travel to at the end of "Back to the Future", as depicted in "Back to the FutureII"—an estimated 27million social media users discussed the films; the most active users were in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Brazil. Ronald Reagan was also a fan, referencing the film during his 1986 State of the Union Address to appeal to America's young voters, saying, "Never has there been a more exciting time to be alive, a time of rousing wonder and heroic achievement. As they said in the film "Back to the Future", 'Where we're going, we don't need roads. Although Gale has said that Reagan, after enjoying the joke about Doc Brown's incredulous response to him becoming president, ordered the theater's projectionist to stop the film, roll it back, and run it again, this is disputed by Reagan's advisor, Mark Weinberg. "Back to the Future" is also seen as responsible for a resurgence of skateboarding in the 1980s. It made skateboarding a mainstream pastime acceptable for all, not just rebellious teenagers.


title: Back to the Future

text: "Back to the Future" has been referred to in a variety of media, including television, films, and video games. Doc and Marty, respectively, inspired the eponymous characters of the 2013 animated television show "Rick and Morty". The British pop rock band McFly are named for Marty McFly. The 2011 novel "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline and the 2018 film adaptation (directed by Spielberg) both heavily reference the film, including the central character using a DeLorean for transport. Filmmaker J. J. Abrams has also cited it as an inspiration.


title: Back to the Future

text: The 2015 crowdfunded documentary "Back in Time" follows various fans of the series and details the impact it has had on their lives, interspersed with interviews from the crew including Fox and Lloyd. The DeLorean is considered one of the most iconic vehicles in film history. DeLorean's creator John DeLorean was a fan of the film and sent personal letters to Gale and Zemeckis, thanking them for using his vehicle. The DeLorean was not a popular vehicle before the film's release. However, in the years since it has become a popular collector's item, and the DeLorean Motor Company issued kits enabling fans to make their vehicle look like the DeLorean time machine. Gale led a restoration of one of the original screen-used DeLoreans in 2011, documented in "Out of Time: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine".


title: Back to the Future

text: "Back to the Future" is considered a landmark of American cinema, and one of the greatest films ever made. In 2004, "The New York Times" listed it as one of the 1,000 Best Movies Ever, and the following year its screenplay was listed as the 56th greatest screenplay of the preceding 75 years by the Writers Guild of America. Throughout the rest of the 2000s, it appeared on Film4's "50 Films to See Before You Die" (number10), "Empire"s 500 Greatest Movies of All Time (number23), behind the 1977 space opera "Star Wars", and the American Film Institute listed it as the number10 best science-fiction film, based on a poll of 1,500people from the creative community. In 2010, "Total Film" named it one of the 100 greatest movies ever made, and the following year it was voted by BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra listeners as their fourth favorite film of all time. It is also listed in the film reference book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die". A 2014 poll of 2,120 entertainment-industry members by "The Hollywood Reporter" ranked it as the 12th best film of all time, again behind "Star Wars". In 2015, the screenplay was listed as the 67th funniest on the WGA's 101 Funniest Screenplays list, and "Rotten Tomatoes" also listed the film at number84 on its list of 200 essential movies to watch.


title: Back to the Future

text: Several publications have named it as one of the best science-fiction films ever made, and one of the best films of the 1980s. "Popular Mechanics" and "Rolling Stone" listed it as the numberone and numberfour best time-travel film ever made respectively. "Entertainment Weekly" named it the 40th most essential film to be watched by pre-teens and the 28th best high-school movie. Marty McFly appeared at number39 on "Empire"s 2006 list of its "100 Greatest Movie Characters"; Doc Brown followed at number76.


title: Back to the Future

text: "Rotten Tomatoes" assesses approval rating from the aggregated reviews of critics, with an average rating of . The site's consensus reads: "Inventive, funny, and breathlessly constructed, "Back to the Future" is a rousing time-travel adventure with an unforgettable spirit." Based on this score, Rotten Tomatoes also listed it as the 87th best Action and Adventure film. The film has a score of 87 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". In the United Kingdom, readers of "Empire" voted the film as 11th on their 2017 list of "The 100 Greatest Movies".


title: Back to the Future

text: A sequel was not initially planned and the teaser ending of Doc, Marty, and Jennifer flying off in the DeLorean suggested their adventures would continue off-screen. Universal Pictures was eager to pursue a sequel based on the significant financial and critical success of "Back to the Future". However, Zemeckis and Gale were reluctant to participate, believing sequels often retreaded the best elements of the original film. They were also concerned that a poor follow-up could alienate "Back to the Future" passionate fan base, and undermine the pair after their first major joint success. Zemeckis and Gale acquiesced by 1987, once Universal Pictures clarified they would, if necessary, make a sequel without them. The pair's sequel script was so long it was split into two films, "Back to the Future Part II" (1989) and "Back to the Future Part III" (1990); the films were shot back to back.


title: Back to the Future

text: "PartII" depicts Marty and Doc traveling to 2015, inadvertently enabling the now-elderly Biff Tannen to steal the DeLorean and return to 1955, rewriting history in his favor. Wells and Glover did not return for the sequels. "PartII" was a financial success but was criticized for its complex, convoluted narrative. Zemeckis has said it is his least favorite film in the series. The final film, "PartIII" follows Marty as he travels to 1885 to rescue a time-stranded Doc. While the film fared less well financially than the two earlier films, it was more critically well-received than "PartII". A 2018 poll by "The Hollywood Reporter" of 2,200 people found 71% wanted a "Back to the Future" sequel, ahead of another "Toy Story" or "Indiana Jones" film. Gale has said there will never be a fourth film, likening it to "selling your kids into prostitution". He added a "Back to the Future" film could never happen without Fox, who could not participate because of the effects of his Parkinson's disease.


title: Back to the Future

text: An animated television series, "Back to the Future", aired on CBS between 1991 and 1992. It follows Doc's and Marty's adventures through various historical periods, intercut with live-action segments featuring Doc (Lloyd), performing science experiments alongside Bill Nye. A short film, "Doc Brown Saves the World" (2015), celebrated the film's 30th anniversary. Lloyd reprised his role as Doc, who must travel to the future to prevent a nuclear holocaust in 2045. A musical theater production, "Back to the Future", debuted in February 2020 at the Manchester Opera House, England, to positive reviews. The musical was written by Gale and Zemeckis, with music written by Silvestri and Glen Ballard. Gale described it as the best way to give fans more "Back to the Future" without adding to the film series. Overall, the "Back to the Future" franchise is considered one of the most successful film franchises.


title: Justin Long

text: Justin Jacob Long (born June 2, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. Long is known for his film roles, notably appearing in "Jeepers Creepers" (2001), (2004), "Accepted" (2006), "Idiocracy" (2006), "Dreamland" (2006), "Live Free or Die Hard" (2007), "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" (2008), "Drag Me to Hell" (2009), "Tusk" (2014), "The Wave" (2019), and "Barbarian" (2022) as well as voicing Alvin Seville in the live-action "Alvin and the Chipmunks" film series. He is also known for his television appearances in "Ed" (2000-2004) and "F is for Family" (2015–2021). He appeared alongside John Hodgman in TV commercials for Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign, and as himself in Intel's "Go PC" campaign.


title: Justin Long

text: Long was born the middle of three boys in Fairfield, Connecticut, to father R. James Long, a philosophy and Latin professor at Fairfield University, and mother Wendy Lesniak, a former actress who has mostly appeared on stage. His grandmother was of Italian descent. Long had a "kind of conservative" Catholic upbringing. His older brother, Damian, is a local stage actor and teacher at Weston High School. Long attended Fairfield College Preparatory School, a Jesuit institution, and Vassar College, where he was a member of the sketch comedy group Laughingstock and starred in several plays, including "Butterflies Are Free".


title: Justin Long

text: Long's film credits include "Idiocracy", "Waiting...", "Jeepers Creepers", "", "The Break-Up", "Crossroads", "Galaxy Quest", "Dreamland" and "Live Free or Die Hard". He was also a regular on the NBC TV series "Ed" (2000–04), playing socially awkward Warren P. Cheswick. He was offered the opportunity to replace Steve Burns on "Blue's Clues" after he left the show, but ultimately declined. He was the voice of the character Alvin in "Alvin and the Chipmunks", "", "", and "". He also played the main character in the comedy film "Accepted" (2006).


title: Justin Long

text: Long made a guest appearance in the documentary, "" (2006). In 2007, he co-starred with Bruce Willis as a white-hat hacker in "Live Free or Die Hard" and had a role in the comedy "The Sasquatch Gang".


title: Justin Long

text: Long is known for his depiction of a Mac in Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign. The campaign featured commercials in which Long as a Mac and John Hodgman as a PC engaged in playful banter about "the strengths of the Mac platform and weaknesses of the PC platform."


title: Justin Long

text: Long also had a small role in the comedy film "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" (2008), where he plays Brandon St. Randy, a gay porn star. In 2009, he starred in "He's Just Not That Into You" along with co-star Ginnifer Goodwin and "After.Life" opposite Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci. He also provided the voice of Humphrey in "Alpha and Omega" (2010), starring with Hayden Panettiere. Also in 2010, Long starred in the comedy film "Going the Distance" with Drew Barrymore. He was cast as a one-armed Civil War veteran in Robert Redford's "The Conspirator".


title: Justin Long

text: Long read the audiobook version of Judy Blume's "Then Again, Maybe I Won't" and Stephen King's "Everything's Eventual". From July 7–18, 2010, he appeared in a production of "Samuel J. and K." at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. On August 16, 2010, he co-hosted "WWE Raw" with "Going the Distance" co-stars Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.


title: Justin Long

text: In 2014 he starred in the independent love drama "Comet", which he and his co-star Emmy Rossum also produced. He also was in a few skits on the show ‘Inside Amy Schumer’. In April 2019, Long started the podcast, "Life Is Short with Justin Long," with its introductory episode airing through Wondery on April 29, 2019. His first guest was actor Dax Shepard.


title: Justin Long

text: On June 24, 2019, Long, along with an ensemble cast, presented "", a dramatic reading of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III's Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election. Long portrayed former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey. In 2020, he appeared in the reality television series "Celebrity Watch Party" alongside his younger brother Christian Long. He appeared in commercials for Intel's "Go PC" campaign.


title: Justin Long

text: Long had a relationship with Drew Barrymore that was on and off between 2007 and 2010. He also dated Amanda Seyfried from mid-2013, breaking up in September 2015.


title: Justin Long

text: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Long revealed that he was the victim of a drugging and abduction during the filming of "Youth In Revolt" while in Michigan. According to Long, after an evening of drinking he left with several local individuals who offered him marijuana but, he believes that it was actually Phencyclidine, more commonly known as PCP. After getting him severely intoxicated, these individuals took him to various locations against his will and avoided taking him to his hotel as he repeatedly requested. According to Long, the individuals made reference to filming him while high on hard drugs and selling the footage to TMZ or another website dedicated to celebrity gossip. Long was so concerned that he eventually leapt from the moving vehicle in order to escape the ordeal. Long commented that he has faced lingering nerve damage in his leg due to the injuries he sustained in escaping from their car.


title: Justin Long

text: Long is a political liberal. He supported Barack Obama during the 2012 U.S. presidential election and was an outspoken critic of the Republican nominee Mitt Romney, describing him as a "modern-day Gordon Gekko". Long endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for President in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He endorsed Sanders again in the 2020 Democratic primary, has been seen at Sanders rallies, and has appeared on the campaign trail as a surrogate.


title: Ed Harris

text: Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in "Apollo 13" (1995), "The Truman Show" (1998), "Pollock" (2000), and "The Hours" (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations.


title: Ed Harris

text: Harris has appeared in several leading and supporting roles, including in "The Right Stuff" (1983), "The Abyss" (1989), "State of Grace" (1990), "Glengarry Glen Ross" (1992), "The Firm" (1993), "Nixon" (1995), "The Rock" (1996), "Stepmom" (1998), "A Beautiful Mind" (2001), "Enemy at the Gates" (2001), "A History of Violence" (2005), "Gone Baby Gone" (2007), "Snowpiercer" (2013), "Mother!" (2017), "The Lost Daughter" (2021), and "" (2022). In addition to directing "Pollock", Harris also directed the Western film "Appaloosa" (2008).


title: Ed Harris

text: In television, Harris is notable for his roles as Miles Roby in the miniseries "Empire Falls" (2005) and as United States Senator John McCain in the television movie "Game Change" (2012); the latter earning him the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. He currently stars as the Man in Black in the HBO science fiction-Western series "Westworld" (2016–2022), for which he earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.


title: Ed Harris

text: Harris was born at Englewood Hospital in Englewood, New Jersey, and was raised in the New York City suburb of Tenafly, New Jersey, the son of Margaret ("née" Sholl), a travel agent, and Robert L. "Bob" Harris (1922–2014), who sang with the Fred Waring chorus and worked at the bookstore of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has an older brother, Robert and a younger brother, Paul. Harris was raised in a middle-class Presbyterian family. His parents were from Oklahoma. He graduated from Tenafly High School in 1969, where he had played on the football team and served as the team's captain in his senior year.


title: Ed Harris

text: A star athlete in high school, Harris played varsity football at Columbia University and was a teammate of future United States Attorney General Eric Holder. At Columbia, where he said he succumbed to the "Morningside Heights blues" after two years, he was a resident in Carman Hall. When his family moved to New Mexico two years later, Harris followed, having discovered his interest in acting in various theater plays. He enrolled at the University of Oklahoma to study drama. After several successful roles in local theaters (such as the Jewel Box Theater in Oklahoma City), he moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts, where he spent two years and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1975.


title: Ed Harris

text: Harris began his career on the stage. In 1976, he played an FBI agent in the world premiere of Thomas Rickman's play "Baalam" at the Pasadena Repertory Theatre located at the historic The Hotel Carver. He followed that at the Pasadena Repertory Theatre in 1976 playing Lot in the West Coast premiere of Tennessee Williams's play "Kingdom of Earth" (aka "The Seven Descents of Myrtle").


title: Ed Harris

text: From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Harris found steady work on television. He had a role in one episode of "Gibbsville" (1975)"," in one episode of "Delvecchio" (1977), in one episode of "The Rockford Files" (1978), in one episode of "" (1978), two episodes of "The Seekers" (1979), one episode of "Barnaby Jones" (1979), one episode of "Paris" (1980), three episodes of "Lou Grant" (1979, 1980, and 1981), one episode of "CHiPs" (1981), one episode of "Hart to Hart" (1981), one episode of "Cassie & Co." (1981), and one episode of "American Playhouse" (1984).


title: Ed Harris

text: Harris's first film role came in 1978 with a minor part in the suspense film "Coma", starring Michael Douglas. His first major role in a film came two years later with "Borderline" (1980), in which he starred alongside Charles Bronson. In 1981, Harris played the lead, William "Billy" Davis, a king of a motorcycle riding renaissance-fair troupe (a role modeled after King Arthur), in "Knightriders", directed by George A. Romero. The following year, he has a small role as Hank Blaine in "Creepshow", also directed by Romero.


title: Ed Harris

text: In 1983, Harris became well known after portraying astronaut John Glenn in "The Right Stuff". In 1984, he co starred in the Robert Benton directed drama film "Places in the Heart"; during production of this film, Harris met and married his wife Amy Madigan.


title: Ed Harris

text: Also in 1984 he co-starred along with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in the Jonathan Demme directed World War II biopic "Swing Shift" and in 1985 played abusive husband Charlie Dick to Jessica Lange's Patsy Cline in the HBO film "Sweet Dreams".


title: Ed Harris

text: In 1986, he received a Tony Award nomination in the Best Actor in a Play category for his role in George Furth's "Precious Sons". He also won the Theatre World Award and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for his performance. Harris then portrayed William Walker, a 19th-century American who appointed himself President of Nicaragua, in "Walker" (1987). That same year, he played Harry Nash in the HBO television thriller film "The Last Innocent Man".


title: Ed Harris

text: In 1988, he acted in Agnieszka Holland's "To Kill a Priest", starring Christopher Lambert, based on Jerzy Popiełuszko and his murder under the Polish communist regime. It was well received by critics.


title: Ed Harris

text: In 1989, his role as David "Dave" Flannigan in "Jacknife" earned him his first Golden Globe Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Also in 1989, he portrayed Virgil "Bud" Brigman in the sci fi film "The Abyss," directed by James Cameron.


title: Ed Harris

text: In 1992, Harris co starred as Dave Moss in the drama film "Glengarry Glen Ross", based on the play of the same name by David Mamet. He won the Valladolid International Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. He next appeared in the films "The Firm" (1993) and "Needful Things" (1993), before portraying the lead role of Kyle Bodine in the neo noir film "China Moon" (1994).


title: Ed Harris

text: In 1995, Harris portrayed Watergate figure E. Howard Hunt in the Oliver Stone biopic "Nixon", and received his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance as NASA Apollo Mission Control Director Gene Kranz in "Apollo 13". In 1996, Harris starred in and executive produced the television adaptation of "Riders of the Purple Sage". That same year, he returned to Broadway as Major Steve Arnold in the Ronald Harwood play "Taking Sides". In 1998, his co starring role in "The Truman Show" earned him a second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture win.


title: Ed Harris

text: Harris made his directorial debut in 2000 with the drama biopic "Pollock", in which he also starred as artist Jackson Pollock. He was nominated for his first Academy Award for Best Actor (and third Oscar overall) for his performance. To prepare for the role, he built a small studio in which to copy the painter's techniques. Two years later, Harris was nominated for his fourth Academy Award (third in the Best Supporting Actor category) for his role as Richard Brown in the British American drama film "The Hours".


title: Ed Harris

text: In between the two Oscar nominated roles, he appeared in the biographical drama "A Beautiful Mind" (2001) and portrayed German sniper Major Erwin König in the war thriller "Enemy at the Gates" (2001). From June to July 2002, he starred in adverts for the Vauxhall Vectra in the United Kingdom.


title: Ed Harris

text: For his lead role as Miles Roby in the 2005 miniseries "Empire Falls", Harris was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film. Also that year, he played a vengeful mobster in David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" (2005) starring Viggo Mortensen. In 2006, he portrayed composer Ludwig van Beethoven in the film "Copying Beethoven", and starred in the television documentary film "The Armenian Genocide" as American diplomat Leslie Davis. He next appeared alongside Casey Affleck and Morgan Freeman in the Ben Affleck directed neo noir mystery film "Gone Baby Gone" (2007). Harris then co-starred as the antagonist Mitch Wilkinson in "" (2007), alongside Nicolas Cage.


title: Ed Harris

text: In 2008, he co wrote, directed and starred along with Viggo Mortensen in the western "Appaloosa". In 2010, he and wife Amy Madigan appeared together in Ash Adams' independent crime drama "Once Fallen". Later that same year, Harris starred in the survival drama "The Way Back" as Mr. Smith. His performance received much critical praise, and he was suggested by critics to receive a fifth Oscar nomination.


title: Ed Harris

text: In 2012, he co-starred alongside Sam Worthington in the thriller film "Man on a Ledge" for Summit Entertainment. He then won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his performance as Senator John McCain in the HBO made for television drama "Game Change".


title: Ed Harris

text: In 2013, he appeared in the western thriller "Sweetwater", and starred opposite Annette Bening in the romantic drama film "The Face of Love". Harris then voiced Mission Control in Alfonso Cuarón's space epic "Gravity" (2013), starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.


title: Ed Harris

text: In 2015, he portrayed the title character in the film version of the Shakespeare tragedy "Cymbeline". In 2016, he appeared alongside Madigan and Taissa Farmiga in The New Group's revival of Sam Shepard's "Buried Child", for which he was nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play.


title: Ed Harris

text: In 2016, he also began playing the villainous Man in Black in HBO's sci-fi thriller series "Westworld", and had a co-starring role in the ensemble cast of Warren Beatty's romantic comedy drama "Rules Don't Apply", with Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich. In 2017, he appeared in Dean Devlin's sci-fi film "Geostorm", alongside Gerard Butler and Andy García. Harris had been previously set to star in Alejandro González Iñárritu's Starz drama series "The One Percent" with Hilary Swank and Ed Helms.


title: Ed Harris

text: Harris co-starred in Darren Aronofsky's horror film "Mother!" (2017), alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Domhnall Gleeson. Harris also starred in the 2017 movie Kodachrome. His performance was widely regarded as one of the film's highlights.


title: Ed Harris

text: On November 5, 2019, Harris took over the role of Atticus Finch in Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird" on Broadway. The role was previously played by original cast member Jeff Daniels.


title: Ed Harris

text: Harris married actress Amy Madigan on November 21, 1983, while they were filming "Places in the Heart" together. They have one daughter, Lily Dolores Harris (born May 3, 1993).


title: Ed Harris

text: On March 21, 1999, during the 71st Academy Awards, Harris along with Amy Madigan openly showed disdain for Elia Kazan, who had received an Academy Honorary Award, by staying in their seats and not applauding. This was due to Kazan's testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952, naming his friends from the Group Theatre as communists resulting in their being blacklisted; for which Kazan had never given an apology.


title: Ed Harris

text: On March 20, 2012, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) merged to form a new union, SAG-AFTRA. Harris, along with others including Edward Asner, Martin Sheen, Valerie Harper, Michael Bell, and Wendy Schaal, were opposed to the merger and sued SAG President Ken Howard and several SAG Vice Presidents, seeking to have the merger undone. They were unsuccessful. The lawsuit was dismissed on May 22, 2012.


title: Ed Harris

text: Harris has a reputation for being serious on the film set. He told a journalist in 2006, "I don't like bullshittin' ... so, I guess that comes across as serious." On March 13, 2015, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, for his work in motion pictures. Harris received an honorary degree from Muhlenberg College on May 17, 2015.


title: Ed Harris

text: Harris is one of several actors who have been dubbed "the thinking woman's sex symbol" (others include John Cusack, William H. Macy and Denzel Washington).


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The son of former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Pat Mahomes, he initially played college football and baseball at Texas Tech. Following his sophomore year, he quit baseball to focus solely on football. In his junior year, he led all NCAA Division I FBS players in multiple categories including passing yards (5,052) and total touchdowns (53). He was selected 10th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2017 NFL Draft.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes spent his rookie season as the backup to Alex Smith. He was named the starter in 2018 after the Chiefs traded Smith to the Washington Redskins. That season, Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He became the only quarterback in history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a single season in both college and in the NFL. He joined Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history to throw 50 touchdown passes and 5,000 yards in a single season. For his performance in his first season as starter, he was named to the Pro Bowl, named First Team All-Pro, and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player awards. Mahomes is one of four black quarterbacks to win the AP MVP award.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: In the 2019 season, Mahomes led the Chiefs to Super Bowl LIV, their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years, where they defeated the San Francisco 49ers. Mahomes was awarded the Super Bowl MVP for his performance, the second black quarterback and youngest overall to do so. He is also the third African American quarterback to win a Super Bowl. In 2020, Mahomes signed a 10-year contract extension worth $477 million with another $26 million in potential bonuses, for a total of $503 million, making it the second-largest known contract in sporting history. The year after signing his contract, he would lead the Chiefs to their second consecutive Super Bowl, but the team lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 9–31.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes was born on September 17, 1995, in Tyler, Texas. His dad, Pat Mahomes, was an MLB pitcher at the time. He attended Whitehouse High School in Whitehouse, Texas. He played football, baseball, and basketball. Mahomes believes that training pitching and playing basketball improved his quarterback skills. In football, he had 4,619 passing yards, 50 passing touchdowns, 948 rushing yards, and 15 rushing touchdowns as a senior. In baseball, he threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts in a game his senior year. He was named the Maxpreps Male Athlete of the Year for 2013–2014.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes was rated by Rivals.com as a three-star football recruit and was ranked as the 12th best dual-threat quarterback in his class. He received offers from Texas Tech, Rice, and Houston. He committed to Texas Tech University. Mahomes was also a top prospect for the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, but was not expected to be selected high due to his commitment to Texas Tech. He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, but did not sign a contract.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes entered his freshman season as a backup to Davis Webb. He saw his first career action against Oklahoma State after Webb left the game with an injury, completing two of five passes for 20 yards for one touchdown and an interception. After Webb was again injured, Mahomes started his first career game against Texas. He completed 13 of 21 passes for 109 yards in the game. Mahomes remained the starter for the season's final three games. Against Baylor, he threw for a Big 12 freshman record 598 yards with six touchdowns and one interception. For the season, he passed for 1,547 yards and 16 touchdowns with four interceptions.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes began his sophomore season at Texas Tech as the starting quarterback. Mahomes helped lead the Red Raiders to a 7–6 season with numerous productive outings throughout the season. He recorded ten games going over 350 passing yards, including four games going over 400. He passed for at least three touchdowns in eight of the games, including a five-touchdown performance against Iowa State on October 10. Overall, in the 2015 season, he led the Big 12 Conference with 364 pass completions on 573 attempts for 4,653 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes appeared in three games as a baseball player, recording no hits in two at bats, and three runs allowed, as a pitcher.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Prior to the start of the 2016 season, Mahomes announced that he was leaving baseball to focus on football.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes had a very productive junior season. In the month of September alone, Mahomes passed for 18 touchdowns to three interceptions while rushing for four touchdowns. He averaged 442.5 passing yards per game that month, which included a 540-yard game against Arizona State in the Red Raiders' second game. Mahomes started the month of October with 504 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and three rushing touchdowns in a losing effort to Kansas State. On October 22, Mahomes set multiple NCAA, Big 12, and school records in a 66–59 loss to Oklahoma at home. Mahomes broke the NCAA FBS records for single-game total offense with 819 yards. He tied the NCAA record for single game passing yards with 734. He fell one short of the record for most attempts at 88. Overall, the game set NCAA records for most combined yards of total offense with 1,708 combined passing yards, and total offense by two players (the other was Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield). The 125 combined points are the second most all time involving ranked teams. Following the Oklahoma game, the Red Raiders defeated TCU before dropping three consecutive games to finish outside bowl eligibility with a 5-7 record. In his final game with Texas Tech, Mahomes finished with 586 passing yards and six touchdowns in a 54–35 victory over Baylor.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes finished the season leading the country in yards per game (421), passing yards (5,052), total offense (5,312), points responsible for (318), and total touchdowns (53). For his performance, he was awarded the Sammy Baugh Trophy, given annually to the nation's top college passer, joining head coach Kliff Kingsbury, Graham Harrell, and B. J. Symons as other Red Raiders to have won the award. He was named an Academic All-America second team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes announced on January 3, 2017, that he would forgo his last year of college eligibility and enter the NFL Draft.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes was projected to be a first or second round pick by the majority of analysts and scouts. During the throwing drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, his passes were clocked at 60 mph, tying Logan Thomas and Bryan Bennett for the fastest pass ever recorded there. Mahomes was ranked second best quarterback by SI.com, third by ESPN, and fourth by NFLDraftScout.com. Representatives from 28 NFL teams attended his pro day at Texas Tech. He became one of the fastest rising prospects during the draft process and had 18 private workouts and official team visits, the most for any prospect in 2017. Among the coaches that he had workouts and visits with were the Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor, and coaches from the Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, and Pittsburgh Steelers.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: The Kansas City Chiefs selected Mahomes in the first round (10th overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Chiefs, originally slated to have the 27th overall selection, traded up in the draft with the Buffalo Bills for the 10th overall selection. The Chiefs traded their first round pick and a third round pick in 2017, and the Chiefs' first round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft for the selection. He was the first quarterback selected by the Chiefs in the first round since selecting Todd Blackledge seventh overall in the 1983 NFL Draft.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: On July 20, 2017, the Chiefs signed Mahomes to a guaranteed four-year, $16.42 million contract that included a signing bonus of $10.08 million.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: The Chiefs announced on December 27, 2017, that with a playoff spot and the fourth seed in the playoffs secured, they would rest starter Alex Smith and give Mahomes his first career start in their week 17 game against the Denver Broncos. Mahomes played most of the game and helped lead the Chiefs to a 27–24 win, completing 22 of 35 passes for 284 yards with one interception.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: On January 30, 2018, the Chiefs announced they had agreed to trade Smith to the Washington Redskins, elevating Mahomes as starting quarterback. In his first game as the Chiefs starting quarterback, the Chiefs beat the division rival Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 38–28. Mahomes threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions and a 127.5 passer rating and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. His first career touchdown came on a 58-yard pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the first quarter.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: The following week, Mahomes threw for 326 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 154.8. After throwing his fifth touchdown in the game, he broke the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a quarterback's first three career games. His sixth touchdown pass broke the NFL record for touchdown passes in a season's first two weeks. For his performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mahomes won his second consecutive AFC Offensive Player of the Week award, the first quarterback since Tom Brady in 2011 to start the season with back-to-back player of the week awards. Mahomes was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: In week 4, against the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football", he passed for 304 passing yards and a touchdown to match a rushing touchdown in the 27–23 comeback victory. In week 6, against the New England Patriots, he passed for 352 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 43–40 loss on "Sunday Night Football". In the following game, Mahomes and the Chiefs bounced back with a 45–10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. In the victory, he passed for 358 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. In the next game, a 30–23 win over the Denver Broncos, Mahomes recorded a third consecutive game with four passing touchdowns on 303 passing yards and one interception. During "Monday Night Football" against the Los Angeles Rams in week 11, Mahomes finished with 478 passing yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions as the Chiefs lost 51-54. His 478 passing yards were the most for a single game by any quarterback for the 2018 season.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Following an 89-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson in a week 17 game against the Oakland Raiders, Mahomes became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. Additionally, he became one of seven players in NFL history with 5,000 passing yards in a season. He finished second in passing yards to Ben Roethlisberger. He became the first Chief since Len Dawson in 1966 to lead the league in passing touchdowns. He helped lead the Chiefs to a 12–4 record and their third straight division title.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: On January 12, 2019, the Chiefs defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31–13 in the , giving the Chiefs their first home playoff win since the 1993 season. Mahomes threw for 278 yards with no interceptions and rushed for one touchdown. The win allowed the Chiefs to host the first held at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes passed for 295 yards and three touchdowns, but the Chiefs lost to the New England Patriots in overtime 37–31.


title: Patrick Mahomes

text: Mahomes' performance for the season earned multiple awards. He was named to the 2019 Pro Bowl, he was named First Team All–Pro, 2019 Best NFL Player ESPY Award, and was named Kansas City Club 101 Awards AFC Offensive Player of the Year. He was also named the NFL MVP, the first ever winner for the Chiefs. He was ranked as the fourth-best player by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.