The title of the original plan was for Back to the Future to be a standalone, the name was not chosen with the idea of encoming a franchise the way that the title does. However, the name of the movie almost wasn't Back to the Future at all.
Head of Universal Studios Sidney Sheinberg wanted the alternate title Space Man From Pluto instead of Back to the Future, as he was worried that the title Back to the Future would be too restrictive. Sheinberg felt that it was too obviously a movie about time travel and wanted to give the film a title that would have a broader appeal to science fiction fans. He had no way of knowing that Back to the Future would become a pinnacle of the time travel genre.
Back To The Future's Terrible Alternate Title Would've Added More Meaning To The "Darth Vader" Scene
Space Man From Pluto Would Have Been A Terrible Title, But It Would Be A Nice Reference To A Fantastic Scene
Though the name Space Man From Pluto would have felt disconnected from most of the film, the scene where Marty declares himself to be Darth Vader would have felt more meaningful. This scene convinces George to try to ask Lorraine out, so it's a key moment for the emotional core of the movie. Marty's decision to scare George plays a large role in helping get the future back on track after the events following the saving of George create a paradox, and, likely, this moment is also what inspired George's novel A Match Made In Space.
I Never Realized How Dark Back To The Future’s Ending Was Until Now
Marty returning to his time in Back to the Future and discovering his family has had different lives is not as happy an ending as it first appears.
The title Space Man From Pluto would have put a focus on the relationship between Marty and his father, which makes sense knowing that the plan was for the film to be a standalone. It is kind of funny that while the title Space Man From Pluto would have been meant to establish the film as a science fiction that anyone could be interested in, its real accomplishment would be its reference to a key moment in George's history. It's not a perfect title, or even a good one, but there is logic behind Sheinberg's idea.
It Was Still 100% The Right Call To Stick With "Back To The Future" As A Title
Back To The Future Gets Right To The Core Of What These Movies Are About
There are multiple reasons why Back to the Future's title is for the best. If Back to the Future existed as a standalone under the title Space Man From Pluto, the movie's time travel technology would have felt like a background element to the main story surrounding Marty's parents, rather than the key element of the trilogy that it ended up becoming. The real title emphasizes a crucial element of the film.
The title Back to the Future understands how important time travel is to the story the movie is trying to tell. The real title of Back to the Future perfectly establishes what kind of movie to expect, and it plays a part in why the movie is such a classic. Considering how much Back to the Future has influenced time travel movies since its release, the real title is absolutely for the best.
Back to the Future
- Release Date
- July 3, 1985
- Runtime
- 116 minutes
- Director
- Robert Zemeckis
Cast
Michael J. FoxMarty McFly
Emmett Brown
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
- Producers
- Bob Gale, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Neil Canton
- Sequel(s)
- Back to the Future Part III
- Franchise(s)
- Back to the Future
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