It’s a huge year in the history of Back to the Future. It’s the 30th anniversary of the film’s 1985 release, as well as the year Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to in Part II. That latter date, October 21, 2015, is fast approaching, and if you’re a fan of the franchise, there are some very cool events planned.
The biggest is in Los Angeles, CA. It’s called We’re Going Back and it’s a four-day celebration filled with events every Back to the Future fan has dreamed of. Taking place October 21-25, it’s literally going to be the best Back to the Future event ever.
It’ll start with a tour of Universal Studios Hollywood, where major chunks of the movies were shot. After that, there’s a costume exhibit, Hoverboard demonstration (and rides), tours of off-the-lot filming locations, an auction of original props from the movie, a huge panel discussion with all the stars, an actual “Enchantment Under the Sea” dance, and screenings of all the movies, including an outdoor one at the Twin Pines Mall location.
And all that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The event will also host the world premiere of Back in Time, a Back to the Future documentary that features new, exclusive interviews with Michael J. Fox, Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and many many more. Here’s a brand new trailer for that movie.
Tickets for We’re Going Back can be bought either for the entire event, or per day. To do that, and for more information, visit http://www.weregoingback.com/
Can’t make that event? There’s plenty of other awesomeness happening in the coming month.
To start, the full Back to the Future trilogy will be rereleased in select theaters on October 21. This is a worldwide happening. Here’s a trailer.
On that note, there are also separate Canadian screenings taking place on October 21 and October 25. Cineplex is hosting special fan event screenings on those days, the former doing the first two films and latter the full trilogy. There’s more information here.
Staying in Canada, the Michael J. Fox Theater in British Columbia will also be screening the trilogy of October 21 with all proceeds benefitting the star’s foundation for Parkinson’s research. Tickets can be purchased here.
What you’re looking at above is Billy the Marlin, the mascot for the Miami Marlins, dressed as Marty McFly. The team will host a special Back to the Future night at the stadium on September 25 which will include in game entertainment themed to the movie, a meet and greet with producer Bob Gale, fireworks, and a Billy McFly bobblehead. More info here.
Love the music of Back to the Future? The film will screen, with live orchestral accompaniment, all over the world in the coming months. I saw this in Los Angeles this summer and it’s wonderful. It’ll be in Cincinnati on September 19 and New York on October 15-16, with additional performances in Toronto, St. Louis, and even in Australia. For all the dates and locations, visit this link.
Do you happen to be in Italy? If so, there’s an exhibit of Back to the Future props and costumes on display now through November 15 at Settimo Torinese in Piedmont, Italy. Besides checking out a bunch of cool stuff from the movies, you can take also rides in the DeLorean. The full details are here.
Something you can do everywhere is pick up the new Back to the Future Blu-ray box set, which hits on October 20. It comes in an awesome Flux Capacitor cast, and boasts a new disc of bonus features and the complete Back to the Future animated series.
Here’s some bad news though. Two big Back to the Future events that had been rumored for this year don’t look to be happening. The biggest is a wide release of the 2015 Nike MAG sneakers, just like Marty had in Back to the Future Part II. While there are ultra-expensive recreations out there, Nike had reportedly been trying to get out a more affordable version this year, with actual self-tying laces. However, though the above tweet suggested otherwise, Sole Collector reports it’s not likely to happen.
Another rumored event is a US version of Secret Cinema. Secret Cinema is a UK-based celebration where a location is completely transformed into the world of the movie. They did Back to the Future last year, it looked amazing and word was, they were trying to do it in Los Angeles area to go with the 30th anniversary. However, sources tell io9 that’s not likely to happen, at least not this year. We contacted Secret Cinema for comment but didn’t hear back as of press time.
Hopefully it happens soon though, because the event looks incredible. Here’s a video of the UK version.
There will be more announcements of Back to the Future events too. Keep tabs on all the festivities by visiting BacktotheFuture.com.
Contact the author at germain@io9.com.