Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale are working with Universal Stage Productions (Wicked and Billy Elliot), London-based producer Colin Ingram (Ghost – The Musical) and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment to develop a stage musical version of their film Back to the Future.
Back To The Future was one of the most successful films of the 1980’s taking over $360 million at the box office worldwide and launching a successful trilogy. The story of Marty McFly, a teenager who is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-travelling DeLorean caught the imaginations of a generation.
The new musical will have a book by Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale and Jamie Lloyd, and new music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard, with additional music from the film by Huey Lewis & The News, Chuck Berry, Pat Ballard and Curtis Williams, including ‘The Power of Love’ and ‘Johnny B. Goode’. The production will be directed by Jamie Lloyd, with set and costume design by Soutra Gilmour, illusions by Paul Kieve, lighting design by Jon Clark, and musical supervision by Alan Williams. Andrew Willis will be skateboard consultant.
Bob Gale said, “The Back to the Future Musical in London is a project that Bob Zemeckis and I have been exploring for almost ten years. We’re thrilled to be at last in partnership with a creative and producing team that will create a show that is true to the spirit of the film without being a slavish remake. Director Jamie Lloyd is full of passion, energy and imaginative ideas and we are overjoyed to have the film’s composer Alan Silvestri composing the music, with lyrics by Glen Ballard who has also collaborated with Zemeckis before on many projects. With all of us working together, we know the integrity of the material will be preserved in a production that will be a wonderful companion to the Trilogy. We intend to use music from the movie along with brand new songs to make a version of Back to the Future that is fresh, entertaining, and takes advantage of all the amazing things that can now be done on stage. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film.”
