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Screenwriter Bob Gale has asked Universal Pictures to destroy a censored version of Back To The Future II after it made its way onto Netflix.
It comes after fans in the US shared their disappointment after an edited version of the classic second movie appeared on the streaming service earlier this week.
The altered scene comes when Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) looks at a cover of Oh La La magazine. Thinking he’s found a stolen sports almanac that he’s travelled back in time to collect, McFly instead stumbles upon the issue of the adult magazine.
The original version has since been restored to Netflix, but the altered version that was streaming previously sees the cover of the magazine edited out, seemingly to make the movie a more family-friendly watch.
Now, Gale, the screenwriter of the beloved trilogy, has said he doesn’t blame Netflix for airing the censored version.
“The blame is on Universal who somehow furnished Netflix an edited version of the movie,” Gale said. “I learned about it some ten days ago from an eagle-eyed fan, and had the studio rectify the error. The version now running is the uncensored, unedited, original version.”
He continued, “Apparently, this was a foreign version which neither director Robert Zemeckis nor I even knew existed, for some country that had a problem with the Oh La La magazine cover. I asked that the studio destroy this version.
“FYI, Netflix does not edit films – they only run the versions that are supplied to them. So they’re blameless. You can direct your ire at Universal, but I think they will be a lot more careful in the future – and with ‘the future.'”
Earlier this month, the cast and crew of Back To The Future staged a virtual reunion to share their memories of the classic film while raising money for coronavirus relief funds.
Ahead of the movie’s upcoming 35th anniversary, stars including Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown), Michael J. Fox and Lea Thompson (Lorraine Baines-McFly) joined Frozen actor Josh Gad for his YouTube series Reunited Apart.
They were also joined by director Robert Zemeckis, co-writer Bob Gale and a host of other names associated with the series as they reflected on their memories and even reenacted some of the most iconic scenes to delight fans.
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