Lightning's about to strike again! Universal Studios Home Entertainment announced today that they will be re-releasing the Back to the Future Trilogy on DVD this February as individually released editions. All three films will feature special foil packaging. The classic original film will be a two-disc special edition collection which also contains Back to the Future...The Ride, the infamous Leslie Nielsen special preview of Back to the Future Part II and the long-awaited documentary Looking Back to the Future!
Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III will also be released as single-disc editions, which will be basically the same discs contained inside the 2002 Boxed Set (yes, with the "V2" correct framing!).
Here's a complete features listing for all three DVDs, which street on February 10, 2009:
Back to the Future
Disc 1:
The Making of Back to the Future
Making the Trilogy: Chapter One
Q&A with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale
Enhanced Conversation with Michael J. Fox
Feature Commentary with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Did You Know That? Universal Animated Anecdotes
Original Makeup Tests
Production Archives
Excerpts from the Original Screenplay
Theatrical Teaser Trailer
Cast & Filmmakers
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Features Including Total Axess
Recommendations
Special Announcements
Disc 2:
Back to the Future...The Ride
• Lobby Monitor
• The Ride
Looking Back to the Future
• The Script
• Casting Marty McFly
• Christopher Lloyd Reflects on Doc Brown
• The DeLorean as the Time Machine
• Building Hill Valley
• Prepping for the “Johnny B. Goode” Scene
• The Score
• Rushing the Cut
• The Legacy
Back to the Future Night
Michael J. Fox Q&A
Back to the Future Part II
The Making of Back to the Future Part II
Making the Trilogy: Chapter Two
Q&A with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale
Feature Commentary with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Did You Know That? Universal Animated Anecdotes
Production Design
Storyboarding
Designing the DeLorean
Designing Time Travel
Hoverboard Test
Evolution of Visual Effects Shots
Production Archives
Huey Lewis & The News "Power of Love" Music Video
Theatrical Trailer
Cast & Filmmakers
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Features Including Total Axess
Recommendations
Back to the Future Part III
The Making of Back to the Future Part III
Making the Trilogy: Chapter Three
Q&A with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale
Feature Commentary with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton
Deleted Scene
Outtakes
Did You Know That? Universal Animated Anecdotes
Designing the Town of Hill Valley
Designing the Campaign
Production Archives
The Secrets of the Back to the Future Trilogy
FAQ's About the Trilogy
ZZ Top "Doubleback" Music Video
Theatrical Trailer
Cast & Filmmakers
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Features Including Total Axess
Recommendations
Back to the Future...The Ride
"Experience the complete Universal Studios theme park attraction including lobby monitor and pre-show footage." Presented in its entirety, including the "Lobby Monitor" and a combination of the "Pre-Show" and The Ride itself, an accurate representation of the signature theme park attraction is being released officially for the very first time. Featuring an on-screen dashboard of the 8-passenger DeLorean as it travels through time, The Ride is complete with accurate time circuit displays and the onboard monitor in which Doc and Biff communicate with the Institute of Future Technology's time travel volunteers. We think you'll love this true continuation of the trilogy being made available for the very first time - I sure do. I personally have been waiting for The Ride to be released on home video ever since I first experienced the attraction in January 1992! Since The Ride is included as a bonus feature itself, unfortunately there are no other bonus features for The Ride in this particular release. Hopefully we'll see behind the scenes and making-of featurettes for this attraction whenever Blu-ray arrives.
Looking Back to the Future
"Explore the legacy of Back to the Future in this 9-part retrospective documentary" Longtime followers of this website and attendees of the 2006 DeLorean Car Show in Chicago know that BTTF.com was involved in the production of an independent documentary entitled Looking Back at the Future. Looking Back to the Future is the long-awaited, newly re-edited and renamed version of that documentary, which Universal has decided to include in the 2-Disc Back to the Future Special Edition DVD. It has been completely recut and edited to incorporate content just from only the first film, including both new material and old. We're hopeful that whenever these films are released on Blu-ray down the line, that a second and third chapter to Looking Back to the Future will be added to incorporate all the wonderful interviews conducted about the sequels.
Back to the Future Night
"Go on the set of Back to the Future and Back to the Future Part II in this rare TV special." Another classic being released officially for the very first time is the highly sought-after release of the special preview for Back to the Future Part II which aired November 17, 1989 on NBC prior to a Friday night screening of Back to the Future and was hosted by comedian Leslie Nielsen. It was in this special which Robert Zemeckis (with tongue firmly in cheek) first stated that the hoverboards were real, setting off a frenzy of fans searching in a futile effort for the mystical flying boards and flooding Mattel's headquarters with phone calls & letters.
Michael J. Fox Q&A
This is the very same content as the "Enhanced Conversation with Michael J. Fox" found on Disc 1 (and was included in the 2002 Boxed Set), but here is presented as one continuous sequence and seems to be much more enjoyable.
All three discs have a SRP of $19.98 and arrive in stores starting February 10, 2009. You can also pre-order them from BTTF.com by visiting our Time Travel Terminal:
No Blu-Ray announcement yet. Damn!