Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
Trending
  • Fable 4 interview
  • New Games for 2026
  • Big in 2026
  • Arknights: Endfield codes
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

10 incredible never-before-seen Back to the Future extras

Features
By Lauren O'Callaghan published 21 October 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Great Scott!

Great Scott!

Happy Back to the Future day! Yes, October 21 2015 is the date Marty and Doc land in the future and no matter what the 1989 sequel got right (or wrong) about the future, it's still one of the most popular movies of all time.

We're celebrating the momentous movie occasion with some exclusive extras from the franchise, including behind-the-scenes set images, original concept art and never-before-seen shots of Michael J. Fox filming *that* hoverboard scene! What are you waiting for? This is what made the films so incredible...

Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History is out now from Titan Books.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
This is heavy

This is heavy

You might recognise this scene from the first Back To The Future film. Marty thinks all his troubles are over, only for Doc to appear and tell him his future is in jeopardy. It's the final scene in the movie, which sets up the sequel where Doc and Marty travel to 2015, and here's the crew filming it in Arleta, California, with Michael J. Fox and Claudia Wells.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
Best chase scene of all time

Best chase scene of all time

The tunnel chase scene, which sees Marty use his borrowed hoverboard to get back the Almanac from Biff, was the first-ever CGI shot for visual effects company, Industrial Light and Magic. Zemeckis digital removed the pipe attached from the shooting rig to the hoverboard, and then had Michael J. Fox use harnesses, flying rigs, dollies, and even a real skateboard to shoot the scene again and again, in a myriad of different ways, just to prevent the audience from figuring out how the effects were achieved. Now that's commitment!

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
Are you telling me that you built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?

Are you telling me that you built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?

Here's some early concept art for the reappearance of the DeLorean after a time jump. Animator Wes Takahashi said Bob Gale told him, I want it to be extremely violent, something akin to a Neanderthal siting on the hood of the car, chipping away at the fabric of time in front of him. Mission accomplished!

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
YOU'RE FIRED!!!

YOU'RE FIRED!!!

Here's Joanna Johnstons design for old Martys look, including the now iconic double tie. When are we getting those, again? The tie was the least arduous part of getting into character, with Michael J. Fox saying of prosthetic makeup, The thing that people dont understand about it and with the event of CG, it might be different now but they put it on with airplane glue and took it off with gasoline, and it used to ravage my face.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
I need to borrow your... hoverboard?

I need to borrow your... hoverboard?

Over the course of two years, Industrial Light and Magics John Bell designed a variety of hoverboards for Marty, Griff and Griffs gang. All he was told was the term hoverboard, and asked to sketch whatever came to mind.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.

Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.

This on-set snap shows how the flying cars were filming for Back to the Future II. Basically, just pick up the car with a forklift and hang on!

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
Self-lacing shoes? Yes, please

Self-lacing shoes? Yes, please

This is one invention that's soon to become a reality with Nike announcing the release of Marty's futuristic footwear later this year. Think of how much time you'll save not have to tie your trainers every morning? This is the initial concept art for the self-lacing shoe by designer Tinker Hatfield.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
When this baby hits 88 miles per hour...

When this baby hits 88 miles per hour...

The explosive scenes where the DeLorean travels through time were based on this original concept art. Did you know that there are actually only 32 optical special effects shots in the entire movie? Still looks pretty good, right?

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
You've come here from a great distance

You've come here from a great distance

Check out Michael Scheffes design sketches for Doc Browns brain-wave analyser. There's also pictures of the final prop used in the film, when Marty tries to tell Doc he's come from the future, but Doc insists on attempting to read his mind instead. Spoiler, it doesn't work.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
Tales From Space!

Tales From Space!

This the cover of Sherman Peabody's comic book (designed by Andrew Probert), which he used to identify Marty as an alien when he crashed into his family's barn. Like he said, Marty had already mutated into human form by the time his dad got his shotgun so, there wasn't much they could do about it.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
Lauren O'Callaghan
Lauren O'Callaghan
Social Links Navigation

Lauren O'Callaghan is the former Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar+. You'd typically find Lauren writing features and reviews about the latest and greatest in pop culture and entertainment, and assisting the teams at Total Film and SFX to bring their excellent content onto GamesRadar+. Lauren is now the digital marketing manager at the National Trust.

Share by:
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Whatsapp
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Latest in Movies
Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie as Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights
First reactions to Wuthering Heights call Emerald Fennell's new movie "a scorching hot and twisted tale"
 
 
Mio and Zoe holding a dragon during the trailer for Split Fiction.
Split Fiction game director reveals he's seen the first version of the movie adaptation's script
 
 
Mobile Suit Gundam
5 years after it was announced, the live-action Gundam movie finds home at Netflix
 
 
Ghostface in Scream 7
Matthew Lillard says his Stu Macher Scream 7 return is "a gamble of legacy"
 
 
Michael B. Jordan as 'Smoke' and 'Stack' in Ryan Coogler's new vampire horror Sinners
Sinners director Ryan Coogler has filled in the gaps on what happened to Smoke and Stack before they left for Chicago
 
 
Neal Adams drawing of Batman featuring his blue-and-gray costume with white eyes and a yellow circle around his bat symbol
James Gunn defends The Flash writer set to pen the DCU's upcoming Batman movie
 
 
Latest in Features
Oblivion Remastered
Oblivion Remastered's wildest bug made me choose between losing achievements or living as a fugitive
 
 
A player taking cover and shooting in The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn could finally make Owlcat mainstream: "We’d been feeling a growing ambition to go bigger"
 
 
Fable
Fable's black and white morality has been a dead weight since 2010 and I'm glad it's getting cut
 
 
Highguard screenshots
I love Highguard's 2Fort-style sieges – when they actually happen
 
 
Overseer Steph Harper (Annabel O'Hagan) in Fallout season 2.
I'm loving Fallout season 2, but it suddenly has a Star Wars problem
 
 
Photo of a Gengar toy sitting on a pile of Razer and Hori gaming accessories.
There's no end in sight for official Pokemon Gengar gaming accessories, and I'm 100% okay with that
 
 
  1. Veiled Fate box displaying the logo, a maze, and silhouettes heroes, sat on a wooden surface
    1
    This hidden role board game makes me feel like a puppet master, so Traitors fans should listen up
  2. 2
    Cairn review: "This climber has a grip on me – even when it loses its footing with awkward systems, the challenge remains surmountable"
  3. 3
    The Doom Arena Board Game is hell on Earth (in the best way) | Preview
  4. 4
    This award-winning board game is a five star must-have
  5. 5
    Code Vein 2 review: "This vampire take on Elden Ring almost works, but the dungeons themselves lack bite"
  1. Return to Silent Hill protagonist James Sunderland
    1
    Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
  3. 3
    Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
  4. 4
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  5. 5
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  1. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
    1
    Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
  2. 2
    Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
  3. 3
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a surprisingly heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
  4. 4
    Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
  5. 5
    Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...