Michael J. Fox Slams Potential ‘Back to the Future’ Reboot, ‘Doubts’ Better Way to Tell the Story
Looks like a Back to the Future reboot is not in our future, at least if Michael J. Fox has anything to do with it.
The beloved actor, who played Marty McFly in the 1985 time-traveling teen sci-fi classic, said he is definitely not interested in reprising his role anytime soon.
"I’m not fanatical. Do what you want. It’s your movie. I got paid already," Fox told Variety.
The actor added that not only would he not want any part of a reboot, he doesn't think the franchise needs to be revived at all.
"I don’t think it needs to be. I think Bob and Bob have been really smart about that," Fox said, referring to the film trilogy's director and writer, Robert Zemeckis, and his co-writer, Bob Gale.
"I don’t think it needs rebooting because are you going to clarify something? You’re going to find a better way to tell the story? I doubt it," he continued.
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The 61-year-old clarified this isn't the first time there have been talks of a Back to the Future reboot.
"I’m sure somebody thought about [a reboot]. But I was in the early stages of Parkinson’s at that point, so I don’t know that I would have wanted to take that on. Right after 'Part Three’ had done well, there might have been conversations about it, but I never got involved in them," he explained.
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, just one year after Back to the Future Part III hit theaters. He went public with his diagnosis in 1998 and has long been an advocate for the disease.
As for the upcoming Broadway musical adaptation of the film, Fox said "there’s no role for me in it, but I’ll be cheering from the side."
Meanwhile, Christopher Lloyd, who portrayed eccentric scientist Emmett "Doc" Brown, said he would "love to do a sequel, but I think Bob Zemeckis and [producer Steven] Spielberg felt that they told the story in the three episodes. But if somebody has a brilliant idea that would justify a fourth film, it might happen."
However, both actors would need to be on board, as Lloyd explained to Variety that he and Fox had natural chemistry on set.
"There was a certain ease between us. I didn’t have to struggle to get there with Michael. There was never any conflict. It just fit. And it’s never stopped. I feel like we could go and do it again after all these years and not have to think about the relationship between Marty and Doc," Lloyd shared.