Michael J. Fox Offers a Pitch for a Back to the Future Gender-swap Reboot
Michael J. Fox's idea for the Back to the Future remake seems to be something fans would not welcome.
The beloved star of Back to the Future Michael J. Fox told Entertainment Tonight that the remake of the legendary time travel franchise is somewhat inevitable and even presented his own idea for the reboot.
"I actually had this thought that if they did the movie again, they should do it with a girl as Marty. There's something about [Back to the Future] that connects with people on every level. I just feel like it will come around again," the actor told ET.
However, this idea is not something that could be well received by fans. And the issue is not gender-swapping Marty McFly. The very thought of a reboot gives the fans of the franchise the creeps.
"Oh Gawd. No. Stop. Halt. Quit. NO TRAGIC ATTEMPTS AT REBOOTS! BTTF hit a magic formula for its time. The cast (thankfully with MJF recast as Marty), the screenplay, the direction, the music, and the time that it was released. That same magic cannot be simply reproduced by churning out a new movie about the same subject matter. BTTF is a time-honored classic. I hope they let it stay that way," a Redditor wrote.
This opinion seems to be prevailing among the franchise fans even though some wouldn't mind watching a sequel instead of a reboot.
"Reboot? No. Sequel? If it's written well. There are so many stories to tell that we don't need a BTTF reboot. I'm honestly tired of reboots and reimagining," another fan suggested.
Many fans agree that a well-written sequel of Back to the Future is overdue because the story of a teenager discovering that their parents are people just like them remains relevant, but the background of the original trilogy is too far from the modern world. For this generation, the 80s and the 50s start to blend, and we are further now from 1985 than Marty was from 1955. Besides, fans believe that only the original creators – Robert Zemeckis with co-writer Bob Gale – could make a good sequel. Alas, both Zemeckis and Gale hate the very idea of a sequel or a reboot to the dismay of some fans and pleasure of others.