Why Back To The Future 3 Came Out Only Six Months After Part II

By Sarah Little

Published Dec 29, 2024

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Custom Image by Milica Djordjevic

Although the wait between the first and second Back to the Future movies was torturous for some, fans didn't have to wait long for Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd's Doc Brown, an unlikely time-traveling duo. Over the course of the three movies, Marty and Doc find themselves in various precarious situations, whether in the past, present, or future. In Back to the Future Part III, Marty and Doc travel to 1885.

Following the ending of Back to the Future Part II, Back to the Future Part III picks up right where the previous movie left off with Marty working to save Doc, who gets trapped in 1885. However, once he gets there, Marty realizes returning home with Doc will be more complicated than previously thought. Nevertheless, the third Back to the Future film wraps up the franchise's story. Zemeckis, Fox, and Lloyd never collaborated on another project set in that universe, which makes sense after they worked twice as hard to make the second and third movies.

Back To The Future 2 & 3 Were Filmed Back-To-Back

The Cast & Crew Worked On Both Movies Consecutively

Instead of taking the traditional route and having Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III be separate productions, Robert Zemeckis and the studio decided to film them back-to-back. Many franchise movies have done this over the years to save time and money. Films like The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, etc. were also filmed back-to-back.

Back to the Future Movie	Release Date	Box Office	Rotten Tomatoes
Back to the Future	July 3, 1985	$388 million	93%
Back to the Future Part II	November 22, 1989	$332 million	63%
Back to the Future Part III	May 25, 1990	$245 million	79%

Back to the Future (the first one) was such a success after its release in 1985 that Universal Pictures was desperate for more. However, the script for the sequel was so long that they had to split it into two movies (per The Guardian). As a result, the film series became a trilogy. Given the circumstances, it was seemingly easier to shoot Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III back-to-back, and that is why the third movie premiered shortly after the second.

Custom image of Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown in Back to the Future Part II with the Jaws picture in the background

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Why Back To The Future 2 Took So Long After The First Movie

Pre-Production Took A Long Time

Even though Back to the Future Part III debuted shortly after Back to the Future Part II, the gap between the first and second movies was much longer. Fans had to wait four years for the first sequel, but the long wait makes sense. The writers needed time to develop the script, while the crew had to build massive sets. They had to be prepared to shoot the films back-to-back instead of rushing into things. So, principal photography started in early 1989 and wrapped early enough to release Back to the Future Part II in November and Back to the Future Part III in May 1990.