On This Day

Back to the Future released

July 3rd 1985

15:17 3 July 2024

'Back to the Future' opened in U.S. theaters on this day in 1985. Robert Zemeckis's classic science fiction movie stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a teenager accidentally sent back thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean built by his eccentric scientist friend Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd). Before he can get back to the future, Marty has to make sure his high-school-aged parents fall in love to guarantee his existence.

Originally scheduled for an August release, the date was brought forward to early July to give the film an extra 16 days of theatrical screen time during the industry's most profitable time of the year. The move paid off with 'Back to the Future' becoming the highest-grossing film of 1985 worldwide. Zemeckis's movie has remained a popular favourite over the years with critics and audiences regarding it as one of the greatest science fiction films and among the best films ever made.