The musical adaption of “Back to the Future” seemingly has the blessing of the stars who made the original films unforgettable.
The musical made its Australian premier last week in Sydney, and in an interview with Variety AU/NZ during his time Down Under, co-creator Bob Gale confirmed it has the approval of the original Marty McFly and Dr Emmett Brown – Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd.
“Michael saw the show on Broadway and absolutely loved it,” he said. “Christopher Lloyd has seen it in London two or three times, he saw it on Broadway, saw it in LA, he’s going to see it in Japan later this year, he loves it too.”
Over the years, Gale has been repeatedly asked to create a Part IV to the hugely successful franchise, but insists it wouldn’t feel right without Fox, who retired from acting in 2020 due to the advanced development of his Parkinson’s disease.
Fox’s support for the musical has instead been a wonderful alternative.
“We don’t want to do ‘Back to the Future Part IV’ without Michael J. Fox, right,” he said. “So this has been a different way to revisit the material, and Michael really enjoyed and supported it.”
Fox made a rare public appearance earlier this year, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Back to the Future”, showing up for a screening of the film at the Southampton Playhouse in New York in August.
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He is also releasing a new book titled “Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum”, covering his time filming “Back to the Future” and the hit TV series “Family Ties” simultaneously.
Fox will also return to our screens as a guest star on season three of the hit Apple TV+ series “Shrinking”, which stars Harrison Ford and Jason Segel. Details of his role are being kept under wraps, although it is likely connected to Ford’s character Paul Rhodes, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the end of season one.
The show’s creator, Bill Lawrence, told People that Fox was a major inspiration for “Shrinking”. “I found the first mentor in my life and career, Michael J. Fox, to be so inspiring with the way he took it in stride and continues to work harder than anybody I know,” he said. “And we want to kind of carry that spirit if we can into the show.”