15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Back To The Future Part II

Part II is the point at which the Back To The Future series really starts messing with your head. Marty heads to 2015 from 1985 and back to 1955 once more.

So how well did you keep up with the hugely enjoyable sequel? Take a look at these facts and see how much you really know about Back To The Future: Part II.

(Images: AllStar, Rex Features)

1

Robert Zemeckis joked in a behind-the-scenes featurette that the hoverboards used on set were real. A large number of parents took him at his word and tried to order them in toy shops.

2

Robert Zemeckis regretted the decision to have Jennifer get into the car with Marty and Doc Brown at the end of the first film as it meant Jennifer would have to be incorporated into Part II, rather than giving free reign to tell a brand new story.

3

Part II and Part III were filmed back-to-back in order to make the most of the time Michael J. Fox had off from Family Ties. His commitment to filming Family Ties had caused major problems during production on the first film.

1

By time he shot parts II and III, Michael J. Fox was 28 years old, but still playing 17.

5

Building the large number of futuristic sets took two years.

6

Crispin Glover didn't reprise his role as George McFly. He asked for too much money so the character was largely written out, with Geoffrey Weissman playing Future George. Glover tried to sue Steven Spielberg and the other producers for using his likeness without permission.

7

Though its depiction of the future is meant to be comedic, the film accurately predicted the invention of flat-screen TVs, video chat software, multi-channel viewing, the ubiquity of cameras and plastic surgery becoming routine.

8

The Nike shoes that Marty wears in the future were eventually produced for sale - in 2008. However, they were not self-lacing. But it's not 2015 yet, so you never know...

9

The ageing make-up required in the future scenes took up to four hours to apply.

10

The film marks the movie debut of Elijah Wood, who appears as a kid in the future diner.

11

Hill Valley, Marty's hometown, was built at great expense for the first film. It was shot in pristine condition for the 1955 scenes, then decayed for the 1985 scenes. When the sequel required more 1955 scenes the set had to be restored to its pristine look, which cost more than the original set had to build from scratch.

12

Most of the costumes for the Under The Sea ball had been lost since the first film. The only person wearing her original outfit was Lea Thompson, because she'd taken the dress home with her when filming ended. She still has it and her kids try it on every Halloween.

13

Michael J. Fox had to take skateboarding lessons before shooting began as all the skills he'd learned for the first film had deserted him in the intervening years.

14

The film shot under the code title Paradox.

15

An early sequel script had Marty going back to 1967 and encountering his parents in college. However, this would have made them exceptionally slow students as there would have been 12 years between the time they were high school seniors and the time they went to college.