Back to the Future screenwriter has a very blunt response for those asking for a fourth movie: "F*** you"

Christoper Lloyd and Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Back to the Future screenwriter Bob Gale has given a very frank answer to whether we'll ever see a fourquel in the iconic franchise.

Gale penned all three Back to the Future movies alongside director Robert Zemeckis. At the Saturn Awards, he poured water over any hopes for more movies (via Collider).

"People always say when are you guys going to do Back to the Future 4?" Gale commented. "And we say fuck you." If you were in any doubt, Gale is pretty firm on his answer, too. "And you can quote me on this," he added.

Alongside the three movies, there is also a musical playing on Broadway and the West End. The musical adapts the first movie, retelling the classic story with the addition of original songs.

While Gale is clearly opposed to more, franchise star Christopher Lloyd has been more open to the idea of a fourquel in the past. "I would love to do a sequel, but I think [director] Bob Zemeckis and [producer Steven] Spielberg felt that they told the story in the three episodes," he told Variety in 2023. "But if somebody has a brilliant idea that would justify a fourth film, it might happen."

Michael J. Fox, though, was more ambivalent towards the idea of a reboot without the original cast. "I’m not fanatical," he said. "Do what you want. It's your movie. I got paid already."

"I don't think it needs to be," he added. "I think Bob and Bob [Gale and Zemeckis] have been really smart about that. 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."

You can fill out your watchlist with our guide to this year's most exciting upcoming movies.

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

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