Well let’s give a healthy round of applause to this bit of news. Despite Hollywood’s overzealous constant need to remake, re-boot or re-imagine any and every property that has met with even the slightest margin of success, director Robert Zemeckis assures us we’ll never see Back To The Future suffer through a watered down second pass as long as he lives.
While speaking to The Telegraph, the BTTF mastermind, who also co-wrote the screenplay to the 1985 blockbuster sci-fi comedy with producer Bob Gale, didn’t mince his words when asked if he’d ever pass the baton to other film makers.
“Oh, God no,” he said. “That can’t happen until both Bob and I are dead. And then I’m sure they’ll do it, unless there’s a way our estates can stop it.”
Not only are Zemeckis and Gale the co-creators and producers of the Back To The Future series, they hold the veto rights to any future installments according to the original deal they signed with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment.
“I mean, to me, that’s outrageous. Especially since it’s a good movie,” Zemeckis continued. “It’s like saying ‘Let’s remake Citizen Kane. Who are we going to get to play Kane?’ What folly, what insanity is that? Why would anyone do that?”
If you have any doubt how important it is for film series creators to have contractual control these days, look at what has become of The Terminator franchise since creator James Cameron no longer has any legal or creative say in things. Can you imagine Back To The Future being passed around from studio to studio with various film makers taking their shot with it as much as Terminator has?
The Telegraph points out that Bob Gale has no absolutely no intention of continuing the story without star Michael J. Fox, who has adjusted his acting career since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
“The idea of making another Back to the Future movie without Michael J Fox – you know, that’s like saying, ‘I’m going to cook you a steak dinner and I’m going to hold the beef,’” Gale said at a 2008 fan convention in Florida.
Since Zemeckis and Gale have final say as long as they live, I for one am happy to know we won’t be seeing any new versions any time soon.
SOURCE: The Telegraph
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