BOB GALE
BACK TO THE FUTURE PART 2: An Alternate Timeline Script
With the recent 40th anniversary of 1985’s BACK TO THE FUTURE, and just in time for BACK TO THE FUTURE DAY (October 21st), The Stunt List is proud to be the exclusive new home for an alternate version of BACK TO THE FUTURE PART 2 from special guest, Oscar-nominee Bob Gale, co-writer of the original trilogy with Robert Zemeckis. The story still begins in 2015 (with lots of differences) and they obtain the Sports Almanac, but they never return to 1955, and instead spend the rest of the movie in 1967.
George and Lorraine are hippies, Doc Brown rides a motorcycle and experiments with LSD, Mr. Strickland works for Biff, Goldie Wilson is Marty’s attorney, and Dave, Linda, and Old Man Peabody have bigger roles! We all love Part 2 exactly as it is, but this script provides a fascinating look at an alternate timeline and gives fans a brand new Doc and Marty adventure to enjoy. Plus, you’ll never guess where Doc Brown says he is going at the end! (It’s not the Old West.)
Read the full script at the link below!
Written by Bob Gale
Available for the first time, on October 20, 2026, Insight Editions and Bob Gale present the shooting script for the original BACK TO THE FUTURE, giving fans an unprecedented look at the beloved classic. In BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE COMPLETE SCREENPLAY, Gale annotates every individual page of the film’s original screenplay, paired with an array of film stills and visuals offering new insight into the creation of the groundbreaking film that changed cinema forever.
BACK TO THE FUTURE took viewers on an incredible adventure. Now, on the film’s 40th anniversary, fans can experience their favorite film in an all-new way with this deluxe, annotated edition of the script, reproduced from Bob Gale’s personal copy. The book is a faithful reproduction of the final script, using different colors for each draft so readers can clearly trace where and how changes were made along the way. Bob Gale's insightful annotations run throughout, offering a screenwriter's-eye view into the story behind the story.
The hardcover trade edition is available now, as well as the Collector’s Edition and also the Limited Edition (signed by Gale with only 500 available). Visit the website below for more details. Watch Bob’s YouTube video below for a full breakdown of each edition and there is also a side-by-side comparison of them on the site.
BUY THE BOOK HERE: https://www.backtothefuture.store/products/back-to-the-future-the-complete-screenplay or click on the button below. EXCLUSIVE BONUS: If you buy the book through that link, you will also receive a 1985 and 2027 Back to the Future Pocket Calendar! Special thanks to webmaster Stephen Clark for all he does at htttps://www.bttf.com!
Scroll down for a full review of the book from Eric Moyer at The Stunt List.
BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE COMPLETE SCREENPLAY REVIEW
by Stunt List Co-Founder Eric Moyer
Full disclosure: Back to the Future is my all-time favorite movie. I saw it as a kid at The Strand movie theater on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ. At my brother’s wedding, I referenced Back to the Future in my Best Man speech (he got married on November 5th) while the DJ played The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News. I took my daughter to see it on the big screen for the 40th anniversary. I have the movie poster and artwork in my bedroom, DeLorean model cars, Funko Pops, the soundtrack on vinyl, and so much more.
I know I’m not alone in believing that Back to the Future is a perfect movie. But a perfect movie does not exist without a perfect script and Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis delivered. I haven’t been this excited in reading a book in a long time and I’m happy to report that Back to the Future: The Complete Screenplay does not disappoint, and this book is a must-have for fans of the film and screenwriters.
Even if you’ve never read a screenplay, Gale breaks down the elements of a script before it gets started. Plus, there’s tons of screenwriting advice mixed in for the aspiring writers out there. The script is widely known as a master class on how to writer set-ups and pay-offs. The opening credit sequence alone has more than you can count.
This isn’t just a reproduction of the shooting script. There’s so much more. Annotations, call sheets, storyboards, diagrams, and pictures. Lots of pictures, including never-before-seen pictures of Eric Stoltz on set before Michael J. Fox took over the role.
And trivia: The car that tried to replace the DeLorean. The other actors considered for Doc Brown. Original character names and what inspired them. Marty’s last name before settling on McFly. Einstein’s original name (it was one of the Three Stooges). The original name of the dance. The profession that George almost had at the end of the movie (he wasn’t an author).
Plus, there’s lots of script pages and lines that were deleted, such as an alternate version of Marty first approaching Doc in 1955 and an alternate opening scene (and backstory) of Marty bootlegging VHS tapes. A lot of this might not be new for die-hard fans, but at 347 pages, I would bet everyone will come away with something they didn’t know. There’s so much more I want to tell you about this book, but don’t want to spoil the endless surprises so you can experience them for yourself!
Thank you Bob Gale, and Robert Zemeckis, for writing this perfect screenplay, and for bringing joy to the fans that will be shared for generations to come. Here’s the link again: https://www.backtothefuture.store/products/back-to-the-future-the-complete-screenplay
Your friend in writing,
Eric
P.S. Don’t miss BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL: https://www.backtothefuturemusical.com
Read Bob Gale’s full bio below.
MEET THE WRITER
Bob Gale
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000390
Bob Gale is an Oscar-nominated Screenwriter-Producer-Director, best known as co-creator, co-writer and co-producer of Back to the Future and its sequels. Gale was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Cinema from the University of Southern California in 1973, where he met and began his association with his long time collaborator, Robert Zemeckis. Gale has written or co-written over 30 screenplays and his other film credits include 1941, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Used Cars, Trespass and Interstate 60, the latter which he directed. In addition to his film and television work, and being the “Gatekeeper” for the BTTF Franchise, Gale has written comic books including Spider-Man, Batman, Daredevil and IDW's Back to the Future series, thus proving to his father that he did not waste hours and hours reading comics in his youth. He has given talks on screenwriting in colleges across the USA, and enjoys meeting fans at Comic Conventions and Back to the Future events. He has also served as an Expert Witness in over 25 plagiarism lawsuits, even though this has occasionally required him to wear a suit and tie. Gale's current project is the theatrical musical version of Back to the Future (appropriately titled Back to the Future The Musical), playing in London's West End since September, 2021. It's also currently on a North American Tour, along with a Japanese version in Tokyo, a production in Sydney, and one on Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas, with a German version opening in Hamburg in March 2026. He is also preparing an annotated version of the Back to the Future shooting script for release in May 2026. When he’s not in production, writing, or wasting time on the internet, he actually does take out the trash, even when his wife doesn’t ask (well, sometimes he does). Gale lives in California with his wife and dog.