Back To The Future is returning to cinemas to celebrate its 40th Anniversary

Universal Pictures is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future, the Academy Award®–winning sci-fi adventure from director Robert Zemeckis and executive producer Steven Spielberg that became a global phenomenon and redefined the adventure genre. On October 31, the beloved 1985 classic returns to cinemas for a limited engagement in premium large screen formats, including Dolby Cinema, 4DX and D-Box, among others. This marks the first time Back to the Future will be presented on the world’s largest screens, offering fans the opportunity to experience the film’s scope and spectacle in the most immersive formats yet.

Igniting the 40th anniversary celebration, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment will debut a must-have lineup of Back to the Future releases on October 14, just ahead of Back to the Future Day on October 21. The centerpiece is the Back to the Future Trilogy – 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Gift Set, featuring all three films in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital, packaged with a collectible Flux Capacitor SteelBook, an exclusive Gibson Mini Guitar replica, an OUTATIME metal license plate, a Back to the Future: A Visual History booklet, and an assortment of replica items from the Universal archives. Fans can also collect individual Steelbooks for each film or pick up the Back to the Future 40th Anniversary Trilogy in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital, perfect for commemorating four decades of time-traveling adventure.

Released on July 3, 1985, Back to the Future introduced audiences to Marty McFly (Emmy and Golden Globe winner Michael J. Fox), a small-town California teenager who is accidentally transported back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean invented by his eccentric friend, Doc Brown (Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd). Stranded in the past, Marty must ensure his teenage parents (Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover) fall in love or risk erasing his own existence. With time running out, he teams up with a younger Doc in a last-ditch effort to harness a bolt of lightning and return to 1985.

The film became the highest-grossing domestic release of 1985 and one of the most enduring movies of the decade, earning more than $385 million worldwide. It received four Academy Award® nominations, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Original Song for Huey Lewis and the News’ “The Power of Love.” The film won for Best Sound Effects Editing.

Zemeckis would go on to direct a series of celebrated and technically groundbreaking films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Death Becomes Her, Forrest Gump (for which he won the Academy Award® for Best Director) and Cast Away, yet Back to the Future remains a defining achievement in his career. The film’s perfect blend of character, comedy and innovation helped launch one of the most successful trilogies in film history and continues to resonate across generations.

Back to the Future was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Oscar® nominee Bob Gale. The film was produced by Gale and BAFTA nominee Neil Canton and executive produced by three-time Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg. It features cinematography by Oscar® nominee Dean Cundey, editing by Oscar® winner Arthur Schmidt and BAFTA nominee Harry Keramidas, production design by Oscar® nominee Lawrence G. Paull, and an original score by Academy Award® nominee Alan Silvestri.

“Back to the Future is one of the most iconic films of the last half-century,” said Jim Orr, President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution for Universal Pictures. “The film’s wit, wonder and wildly original storytelling continue to captivate audiences of all ages. This 40th anniversary celebration gives fans the chance to experience the film’s timeless magic on the biggest, most immersive screens available today.”