Back to the Future 4 has been ruled out by two of its stars. The idea of a fourth Back to the Future has been on the minds of many fans ever since the third installment in the time-traveling series came to an end in 1990.
Begun in 1985, Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future franchise grew into a global phenomenon, spurred on by the huge popularity of then Family Ties star, Michael J. Fox. Though opinions vary widely as to which film in the three-film series is the best, the first film was the biggest box office success and is generally considered by critics to be the best. In recent years, there has been discussion among fans (and apparently at much higher levels as well) of a Back to the Future reboot, but ultimately these haven’t led anywhere substantial. It’s difficult to imagine Back to the Future 4 legitimately occurring, however, as Fox suffers from Parkinson’s and has largely ceased acting on any significant level. It’s safe to say that without Fox’s inclusion, many Back to the Future fans wouldn’t want another sequel.
In fact, it also appears that some cast members of the series aren’t interested in making a Back to the Future 4, either. According to ComicBook, during a recent Wizarding World virtual panel with cast members Claudia Wells and James Tolkan, the two stars remained adamant that a fourth entry in the series wasn’t likely to happen. Wells played Jennifer, the girlfriend of Fox’s Marty McFly character, in the series, while Tolkan was quite memorable as Marty’s irascible high school principal, Stanford S. Strickland. Said Tolkan with regard to a possible Back to the Future 4:
"There's always talk of, 'Someday he's [Zemeckis] going to do a Part IV.' We've done it, it's done. One, two, and three, please. We're quite happy with that."
For her part, Wells was also in agreement, citing the opinion of series screenwriter Robert Gale:
"Bob Gale has always been very adamant about, 'There is no Back to the Future IV. I was doing a Q&A once with Christopher Lloyd at this theater where they had shown Back to the Future. One of the guys in the audience did [viral video] Brokeback to the Future, and Chris looked at him, he goes, 'That's Back to the Future IV because it's not going to happen otherwise.' Everyone says no."
One key point to the entire Back to the Future 4 debate that few fans seem to realize is that without either Gale or Zemeckis’ approval, no sequel or reboot within the franchise can ever take place. This is contractually stipulated with Universal, meaning that Gale and Zemeckis’ insistence on there never being a sequel or reboot is indeed the final say on the matter. Often cast members of popular films are enticed to return when sequels or reboots are planned, but in this particular case, it seems that no cast member – with the possible exception of Christopher Lloyd, is particularly interested in the possibility of pushing on with the concept.
The idea of never letting a good thing die is a common one in Hollywood and among many fans of popular films or franchises. However, in the case of Back to the Future, there’s no need to make a fourth film. The first film in the series is often considered one of the greatest films ever made and though the two subsequent sequels may not quite measure up to it, there’s more than enough quality in those three films to keep audiences happy for years to come.
Source: ComicBook