Robert Zemeckis going back in time with Replay?

robert zemeckis

Back To The Future director Robert Zemeckis could finally be making a return to live-action filmmaking after years spent crafting mo-cap movies.

With his CG Yellow Submarine remake cancelled by Disney after the poor returns of Mars Needs Moms , Zemeckis has reportedly been thinking about wending his way back to more traditional forms of movie making.

Now it seems that a script entitled Replay has landed on his matt, and could be just the film he’s been looking for.

Based on Ken Grimwood’s novel from 1987, the script by Jason Smilovic has apparently led to serious talks between Zemeckis and Warner Bros.

The story follows 43-year-old radio journalist Jeff Winston, who dies of a heart attack in 1988 and wakes up in 1963, in his 18-year-old body.

Still equipped with his old memories, Jeff relives his life, but finds that he still dies of a heart attack in 1988 and is sent back to 1963 all over again.

It’s a natty concept that folds in The Twilight Zone and Groundhog Day , and could be just the ticket for Zemeckis. The man did, after all, make the defining time travel film nigh on 26 years ago.

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.