0:51 Bob Gale had the idea for a movie that was released in 1985 during the summer of 86?

It must have been absolutely crushing for Eric Stolz to have been fired from this film and then have to watch it become one of the biggest franchises of all time. I don’t know how you’d recover from that.

In an interview with Thomas F. Wilson, the actor who plays Biff, he mentioned that nearly the entire film was shot with Eric Stoltz. I would definitely like to see an Eric Stolz version one day.

Eric Stoltz is a great actor, and I am sure his version of Marty would've been good if the movie were a little darker. In the end, though, it's hard to imagine BTTF without Michael J. Fox. He's one of those actors who knows how to act with his whole body.

What really happened is they released the film with Stoltz, it flopped, and then they used the DeLorean to go back in time and recast with MJF.

Michael J Fox is the embodiment of 80s spirit.

The idea in '86, filmed in'84... released in '85...... my god... he's a time traveler! It all makes sense now!

Happy they brought MJF on. He made this movie fun.

Release the Eric Stoltz cut!

Eric didn’t become the star that Michael J Fox became but he still had a damn good career

Eric was terrific in Pulp Fiction. Perfect casting there.

Release The Stoltz Cut! Lol

Marty McFly (such a hip name lol) was the coolest guy in the world when I was a kid. I genuinely thought getting around on my skateboard holding onto a car was going to be a part of high school.

There’s actually another frame left in the final cut where they used Stoltz’s footage. It’s the scene when Marty jumps into the DeLorean to escape the Libyans near the start of the film. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment just like the bar scene.

Stolz has that 1000 yard stare that turns everything into a dark psychological drama.

Eric Stoltz is a good actor, but looking at his scenes he just looks like he is thinking "What the hell am I doing here".

I think Eric Stolz has done alright for himself, though. He's become an actor, director and producer, so he didn't let his bad experience with Back to the Future ruin his career!

Michael J Fox had the kid next door look that everybody liked. That’s what was missing with Eric Stoltz. We liked Michael from Family Ties. Another film that Michael J. carried by his “likability” was The Secret of My Success”. What a great movie that was!

Michael did only get five hours of sleep a day - in the car which was driven by someone else while he slept in the back seat. Most of this is covered elsewhere, however the Eric Stoltz footage shows that his was during the day, while most of Michael J Fox's was at night. I always wondered about that. Thanks for sharing the footage.

Eric Soltz is a great actor and played a creep in another time travel movie The Butterfly Effect so well.

Something I will say is Eric Stoltz definitely resembled Crispin more than Michael j. Fox did.

I always found it uncanny how much Eric and Michael look alike!

I just now learned of this and it just seems like an alternate reality seeing someone else playing Marty Mcfly. It makes me wonder if there's movies out there that didn't do so well but could've been a massive hit had someone else played the main character.

He may not be no Marty McFly but he definitely is Lance from pulp fiction lol

Young Eric here has a very similar face to MJF. But they'd obviously written the movie for MJF. They needed MJF.

Really respect how much work you put into the 3D photos and mockups.

Eric was way too (ok) serious of actor for this.

Bob Gale: "Stoltz, you are terminated! Read my fax!" Eric Stoltz: "No, I can't be fired! I'm fired! Ohhh, this is heavy!"

The scene at 4:08, is actually part of the original and much different BTTF opening. In the opening there is a big beam of light that is being reflected off a pair of mirrored sunglasses that Marty is wearing class, listening to his walkman and tapping his foot while the rest of the students watch boredly a 1950's documentary on nuclear testing. The teacher walks around to see if the students are paying attention and then sees Marty moving his head and tapping his foot. She removes his sunglasses to discover that his eyes are closed. Jennifer is watching from across the room. Marty opens his eyes and sees the teacher who pulls of his headset off his ears and sends him to detention. Then we cut to Strickland's office, where he puts Marty's walkman in a vice(attached to his desk), crushes it and hands it back to Marty. Strickland believes that Marty's 3rd walkman but Marty corrects him saying it's his 4th. Strickland can see Marty doesn't like school, Marty sarcastically says no, he LOVES school. Strickland tells Marty that he's got a real attitude problem, he's a slacker. He opens Marty's folder on his desk and says Marty has aptitude but doesn't apply himself and adds that Marty reminds him of his father(George) who was also a slacker at school. He tells Marty that he's got 2 weeks detention starting to today. Marty says he and his band are auditioning for a YMCA dance gig and he has to be there. Strickland says, "Too bad, McFly. I guess this just isn't your day." While in detention, with Strickland at the front desk grading papers, Marty formulates a plan. He takes a lens out of a projector, fastens a piece of gum to a matchbook, slingshots the matchbook to the ceiling with a rubber band right next to the smoke detector, uses his sunglasses to reflect the sunlight from the window to the ceiling and uses the projector lens to focus the light into a white beam that sets the matchbook on fire, setting of the smoke alarm and the sprinkler system, one of which sprays Strickland in the face. Marty then grabs a skateboard and darts out of the building while Strickland and the students are in confusion. That much I'm sure was filmed. In this original beginning, Strickland looked much older in 1985 as he had bags under his eyes and wrinkles in his forehead and had only a little bit of hair remaining. They probably changed it to him being completely bald but his face still looking the same. As the script says that he was born old and still looks basically the same in both 1955 and 1985. So I guess they decided in the original version, Strickland looked too aged and had to cut back on the makeup. More was supposed to follow after this opening. Marty is seen going out of the school that has graffiti all over it. Goes across the town square where the clocktower is holding on to the back of cars. Then arrives at the YMCA where Jennifer and his band are waiting for him. He makes it just in time and they start playing but are then rejected. Then Marty and Jennifer are walking around the town square where they're told about the clocktower. Then Doc is actually supposed to show up in an RV that's filled with clock all in precise sync which all go off at the same time and Doc loves that sound. The inside of his RV a bit untidy with fast food cartons everywhere. Marty and Jennifer don't notice the plutonium container in it. Doc reminds him to meet him at Twin Pines Mall at 1:15 am tonight. Marty asks what it's about though but Doc says he doesn't want to spoil the surprise and drives off hauling a trailer behind him that has something big on it that's covered... The Delorean. Jennifer asks about Doc. Marty says he met Doc a few years ago and Doc hired him to sweep out his garage and pays him $50 a week. He adds that Doc's a nice guy and has a great vintage record collection. They're about to kiss when Jennifer's father comes to pick her up. That part was not filmed because it was supposed to be on the 1980's town square. But they had to film all the 1950's stuff in the town square first and then age it 30 years. But when Eric Stoltz was fired, they hadn't aged the town square yet and had to reshoot all the Marty scenes with Michael J. Fox in them. After they reshot all the 1950's stuff with Michael J. Fox as Marty, they then aged the town square 30 years but by then, they had also decided to change the beginning of the film. Most of the elements of the original beginning were retained but used and shown in a different way. I know how the original beginning played out because I read the script online.

I had always wondered why Marty didn't look like his dad (Glover). Seeing Stoltz, the choice of Glover makes more sense.

I can’t believe he was filming for 5 weeks before they fired him. That’s insane to me

"..such as growing his fingernails really long, just like real rock guitarists..." I been playing guitar for like 20 years and I've never heard of this. Also, I NEED to keep my fingernails trimmed to play right.

One thing that gets forgotten is that the whole Calvin Klien sub plot and product placement was due to Eric's resemblance to Calvin. Another nod was that Klien was a coastguard. Although not in 1955.

I came for footage of eric . Didn't come come an entire recap / documentary on bttf .

Release the Eric Stoltz cut! I want the dark and serious version 🙂

I find it hilarious that Stoltz looks like a mix of Fox and Glover

Believe it or not, I am in possession of the letter from when Eric Stoltz was sent the script for this movie. 30 years or so ago I found it folded up in a novel I got in a used bookstore in San Francisco!

There is another screen that still has Eric, in the beginning of the movie when Marty 1st jumps into the Delorian if you freeze frame you will notice that it's not Fox but actually Stoltz.

Almost forty years later, Eric Stoltz's resemblance to MJ Fox is uncanny.

Flash 2023 film brought me here

Eric Stoltz is STILL ALIVE! But strangely, on youtube, all I see are the directors/writers/producers talking about Eric Stoltz as if he were dead or something. I'd be really curious to know HIS PERSPECTIVE ON HIS FIRING.

This can be fixed in such a satisfying way. Marty not only travelled trough time but also across dimensions. Quantum entanglement makes it possible for both incarnations to exist in the same universe. A fourth movie could be done with Eric reprising the character, even rehashing the footage and exploring how he became split from the original incarnation.

It definitely has a different vibe/tone with Eric...and I honestly don't think i would have enjoyed it as much if at all.. BTTF is one of my top 10 favs from the 80's....Eric is waaaay too serious....Michael J just had that swag and captivating presence about him...and his comedic ability was top notch back then...he was so sarcastic and funny on Family Ties LOL....Perfect for this movie and Teen Wolf....Sorry Eric. I bet he is still reeling over that....But Michael J. made that movie his own....It would not have been the same without him.....

This guy didn't know that his dad had attended the same high school he did? Did they never talk to eachother as he was growing up?

I believe the producers sabotaged Eric because it seems nobody told him that he should had comedic timing, despite being this an action drama sci-fi film. Unless Eric was being a diva and just acting his character like he saw fit.

I would totally watch his version. Eric was so good in Mask and Pulp Fiction.

I fear that Eric's footage will never be released. The most ideal time in my opinion would have been in October 2015 when the second film took place. The film was on everyone's mind, and new details would have gained a lot of attention. That window is now long closed. The 25th anniversary has long past too, so if they are holding out for an anniversary, I can't imagine it will be any time soon. Maybe they imagine after both Michael and Eric have died so there aren't any disputes? That might be seen as distasteful. 50th anniversary? Perhaps, as it's only about 15 years away. Still seems strange to hold onto something like that for 50 years though.

"...such as growing his finger nails really long, just like real rock guitarists." Say what? Rock guitarists don't do that. Long finger nails is a hindrance to playing every form of guitar except classical, in which finger nails are long on the plucking hand only.

Some people which worked on BTTF at the time said that Eric did his scenes in a more serious mood, like he was in Blade Runner or something, or on a serious sci-fi movie, not exactly what the producers had in mind, they wanted more humour and Eric just not delivering It. But you can not blame Eric, the producers wanted M. J. Fox in the first place, Eric was always the Plan B.

I think calling Zemeckis "naive" just because they tried Stoltz is a bit harsh. I think they kept comparing what they felt MJF would bring to Stoltz's performance and thus they considered his acting too dark and not comedic enough.

People keep being like "Eric is still in the movie because Thomas said so" but they actually checked the call sheet, and they in fact did reshoot that scene so Eric is not in the movie at all, Would love to see the Eric Stoltz footage one day

I think he's right that Stoltz throws the punch. Watch Biff's eye angle when he's talking to Fox -- he's clearly looking down. Now watch where his eye angle is when the punch is thrown -- much closer to parallel with his own height

Casting isn’t just about being a great actor. The actor also need to have chemistry with the role. A main actor is who breaths life into a character. It seems It wasn’t about his acting, he just wasn’t the vision for how he portrayed the character. Eric had a different perspective for Marty and MJF’s perspective happen to be dead on and what the directors envisioned.

No disrespect to Eric Stoltz but MJF was the role for this film. He is just so lovable, innocent and gentle. Take me back to the 80's and those posters on my bedroom wall!

The Flash really measured up this time

He puts a nice spin on it but I mean I’d blow my brains out if the movie I got fired from was the biggest film of the year. 😂

It had nothing to do with Stolz's performance, that was just their excuse. They had always wanted Fox, and he suddenly became available.

I want to see the Eric version. He’s a great actor. They should release it soon.

Eric Stoltz wasn't wrong in his portrayal. He was actually the better actor in that his portrayal was more realistic, how a person really would act if they went back in time.

Itnis crazy to think we almost didn’t get michael j fox as marty... that just seems so fucking wrong lol

I think that would be great if they released the version with Stoltz and let us compare and even enjoy both. I'm a fan of the story so I'm sure I would be able to enjoy both.

It really depends on the fans whether we see a Stoltz cut or not.....the "Donner Cut" of "Superman II" only came about due to *years* of fan demand and lobbying, and frankly it doesn't seem like the same passion is there for a Back to the Future Stoltz cut. Also, one major attraction of the Donner S2 cut is that there was a lot of different footage not seen in the released version, meaning completely different scenes, and also different lines in familiar scenes. If all a Stoltz cut would bring is the exact same film only with Stoltz, that's a negative towards it ever being released. Still, maybe we'll be surprised one day (I'd love to see it).

They should totally write a many-worlds time travel script that uses the Stoltz footage for a sequel in which a new actor travels back to 1985!

They actually should have brought back Eric Stoltz for EP3 as Marty's 1885 great great Irish grandfather (instead of Michael doing both rolls). That would have been interesting.

Very hard to imagine anyone but Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly.

We need that version

Eric looks more like the son of Crispin so it would've been a good fit

Eric was really good in Memphis Belle, Rob Roy and of course Pulp Fiction.

Could an Eric Stoltz version be in the future? Maybe. It all depends on how much demand there would be for a Stoltz cut, and how much footage remained. Remember, Richard Donner was fired from Superman II, but enough of his footage remained to put ‘the Donner cut’ together. What he didn’t have he made use of director Richard Lester’s footage and screen tests of scenes he wanted to do. In retrospect, I found I liked Donner’s take better than I liked Lester’s and thought Donner should have been allowed to see his Superman II vision to the end. I don’t know if a Stoltz take would be better or worse than Michael J. Fox. To me Michael will always be Marty, but I would love to see how a Stoltz take would go, as close to the original as it could possibly be made-much like Donner’s Superman II.

Imagine how pissed off you would have been being Eric and watching this franchise blow up the way it did.

I’m thinking Doc and Marty might have been back in the past prior to ‘85 that caused some event that triggered the change of casting from Eric to Michael. Great Scott!

There's another scene left in the movie of Stolz, when Marti, dressed in the yellow nucular suit, jumps into the DeLorean to escape from the Libyans.

eric doesnt seem to realize that if they made the movie with him there may not have been any sequels

Meanwhile in an Alternate timeline, Eric Stoltz and Melora Hardin are still star in Back to the Future.

Narrator: “Poor Michael would only get 5 hours sleep per day”… Parents of young children: lucky bastard

This is basically an episode of the Docu made by Netflix "The Movies that Made Us" this 2021 Kudos to you sir. Great and spot on infos.

Release a Eric Stoltz version, would be huge....!

He's had some amazing roles, Eric Stoltz. Mask definitely comes to mind. You know he didn't pull off Back to the Future but you have to ask yourself could Michael J Fox have pulled off Mask?

This is one of the most perfectly constructed movies, as far as the narrative goes.

Tom said the movie was just about completely done when they re-casted Eric. A lot more than 30mins

“Much more taller”! God who on earth narrated this?!

Eric Stoltz is a pretty good actor, but he's better suited for dramatic roles.

Going to the same high school as your parents, living in the same small town.... I have no idea what it's like to be tethered to one geographical location like that. My parents grew up and got married in an entirely different country. I've moved 9 times in my life, including moving to a different country. I really wonder what it would be like to have that kind of history, knowing you had the same teachers as your parents, lived in the same town as your grandparents, or the same house..... 🤔

Well damn what are they waiting for? Release the footage! It's only been almost 40 years.

I would like to see that version with Eric as Marty as well

From what I've heard, if it hadn't been for Eric's casting then JJ Cohen would have played Biff instead of Tom Wilson who was originally to play one of Biff's gang, yeah they just couldn't see JJ being able to bully Eric's Marty so they switched JJ and Tom's parts so thanks to Eric's casting we got the Biff we all know, yeah it's something isn't it how things work out.🎥🎬🎞️

Leah Thompson evidently liked working with him as she recommended Eric for Some Kind Of Wonderful a few years later

Since the multiverse trend is currently popular in Hollywood, if they ever decide to continue the 'Back to the Future' franchise, why not consider casting Eric Stoltz as a different version of Marty McFly?

it’s funny, because this reminds me of when i was in a play that had two casts: in one i was one of the main characters and in the other i was a background character (it was like that for all leads), and i played my character really fun and lighthearted, but other other girl who played her made her a little more stern and serious. neither ways of playing the character was “right,” they were just different.

Eric Stoltz's Footage is about 2 seconds. Clickbait.

Eric Stolz is a great underrated actor. I bet it sucked to be fired from the film, but it was probably the greatest decision in cinematic history to have him released with Michael J Fox. It wouldn't be "Back To The Future without Fox and Christopher Lloyd.

Moral of the story: Don't take it that seriously when you're acting and being the character.

The idea came out in "the summer of '86?" The movie was released in '85.

Maybe 1 day we will be able to hear actual lines from him.

Release it bob! We want it!

Just get someone that looks like Eric Stoltz enough with prosthetics to play Eric Stoltz in the cut scenes to release it fully 😂

Wow that really is time travel, he had the idea for the movie in 86 but it was released in 85.... now that is clever!

Michael J Fox was Zemeckis first choice but he had a scheduling conflict with his TV show Family Ties. When Stoltz was fired they brought MJF in and he had to do Family Ties from like noon till six seven at night then go do the Movie getting barely any sleep.

Don’t forget that the original Jennifer was Melora Hardin (Jan Levinson from The Office). She was only replaced after Stoltz was fired because she was too tall to play opposite Micheal J Fox.

Wow I was just wondering if this existed yesterday and today it shows up in my feed. I know Eric stoltz filmed for over a month before they decided Michael J fox would play the part and they ditched the footage. It's official, Google does read my mind LOL