‘Back to the Future’ co-creator Bob Gale on why Disney rejected script, possible sequel or reboot and more behind the scenes

"Back To The Future: The Musical" Gala Performance

Bob Gale attends the "Back To The Future: The Musical" Gala Performance at Winter Garden Theatre on July 25, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)Getty Images

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you grew up in the 1980s, there’s a good chance “Back to the Future” is your favorite movie. Part sci-fi action thriller, part heartwarming family comedy, the movie tells the timeless story of a teenager named Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), who travels 30 years into the past and inadvertently interferes with his parents’ meeting.

The film spawned two blockbuster sequels and a Tony-nominated musical that premiered on Broadway in 2023. Bob Gale, who produced and co-wrote the three films with Robert Zemeckis and penned the book for the stage adaptation, spoke to cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer prior to the musical’s arrival at Playhouse Square on June 11, the first major stop on its inaugural North American tour. In part one of the interview, Gale takes us behind the scenes of the iconic movie franchise.

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