Please excuse me if i don't know how to behave on this forum. I know, i could have posted this movie idea on a subReddit, or any other forum that many so called fans go to, but quantity is not quality. So i found this place, and i hope that you all are enough hard-core fans that you take this idea seriously and help me develop it.
Just to be absolutely clear: I DO NOT define myself as a hard core fan! You guys know 100 times more than I about every facet of this wonderful story, and i know i am a pure amateur in comparison. I just humbly offer my idea to you, so that you can dissect it, criticize it, change it and make it better. And most of all, make it consistent with the story already told. I simply offer my fevered dreams for you to judge. If you deem my dreams to be crappy, then at least I no longer have to loose sleep thinking about it :)
You see, i have been plagued by an extraordinary story idea for a modern sequel movie that might actually encourage all the (still living) original actors to participate. As i think we all can agree, one big obstacle is that the original actors are old, sick, tired and/or sick to their stomach of all things BTTF. But what if we can write their characters according to their current state? Some actor challenge that incites them?
And, by the way...if any of the original actors read this....i mean...you know....Its not that we can dillydally about this...Personally i hope that you live forever! But....ehh, lets just say that this idea is "Time Sensitive" shall we? Yeah, that sounds much nicer then "Lets do his before they croak!". You see, im a very sensitive respectful person ;)
So here goes my pitch:
Michael J. Fox has sever Parkinson disease, but it is only in his body. He is still sharp as a tack in his head, and wants to inform people that Parkinson's is only skin (or muscle) deep. So let an aging Marty McFly also have Parkinson. Showcase the fully working inner thought, despite the muscle spasms and speech problems. His wife (Lorraine), his children, even the nurses attending to him has become so accustom to his handicap that they can finish his sentences for him. Sure, this was not the future that Marty McFly envisioned, but looking back on all the horrible near misses, he is content. Happy. Until Doc suddenly appears and ruins his harmony.
Doc Brown is also old, in fact, just as old and wrinkled as Christopher Lloyd is today. Still very sharp intellect, but distracted from time to time with onset dementia (for great comic effect). Also, it turns out that his extensive time travel has caused a very weird side effect. Whenever a important moment in time happens, his brain just freezes. Like, he gets in a 1 - 2 minutes coma, then wakes up again like "Why am i licking this melted ice cream cone?".
Other characters can be portrayed just as old as they are today, with added age related difficulties for comic effects.
So why would we watch a movie about decrepit aging folks? Because Doc realized something in the future, something disturbing, and he traced its starting point to our present day. I have a whole idea here, but its involved, so i leave it for now. Let me know if you are interested.
In any way, from what i hear, all the actor are sick and tired of remembering scientific jargon, so lets focus on what actors really like: Acting! Basically, apart from some necessary flash-backs/forward-backs (to fill in the story blanks) they only use behavioral tricks and psychology. No hacking computer, no science, but TRICKING HUMANS. And of course they use their old age as a perfect disguise. Think "Catch me if you can" movie, but old folks version ;) Need to slow down police responding to an alarm you caused? Let Marty McFly walk out in front of the police cars on his walker and acting all confused :) Doc needs to get inside a secure building? An old wrinkly guy doesn't need much acting skill to fain a heart attack ;) There is so many possible funny (and actually realistic) trickery they could do!
And i also have heart warming ideas for other characters such as Strickland (He was acting super tough, but in private, super soft), Lorraine gets involved (reluctantly), Docs grandsons are young adults without wisdom, but super smart in different fields (opportunity for old-teaches-young and young-teaches-old) and many many more.
I truly believe that we can write a story that forces the original characters into a "Ooh shit, now i have to act completely different" situation that will interest the original actors. Don' t get me wrong, i loooove the stereotypical characters in the trilogy, but lets face it,. for a serious actor, its not particularly interesting to do the same shit again and again and again. But with good character evolving writing, i think almost all the original actors cant say no!
Weeeellll, maybe one.....
BTTF 4 must have a Tannen descendant. I mean, how could it possibly be a good sequel without Thomas F. Wilson?? But i am sure we have all heard his song "Stop asking me the questions!" and maybe even followed him on his social media? We that have, know that he despise this legacy, because it has typecast him and made it basically impossible to show his full actor talent in other roles. And i completely understand! He was such an iconic bully, how could he not be typecast? Can you see a photo of a young Mark Hamill without automatically thinking "Luke Skywalker"? Or Ed O'Neill without thinking "Al Bundy"? Typecasting is a real thing, and we should all respect how disabiliting it can be for an actors future.
But i think i have just the remedy for Thomas F. Wilson. See, he is a very talented actor, and he just want a chance to demonstrate that. So, give him a very complex nuanced Tannen decedent character that allows him to showcase his entire acting range! In fact, i believe it would be so refreshing if this character was the main character, who attempt to break the toxic masculine mindset he was brainwashed with from his very birth. And i think i have the right story line....
This is how, according to me, you write a story that even Mr Wilson cant resist!
The movie start by following Tannen (lets call him Junior for simplicity). Junior is the protagonist throughout. In the beginning, he is just as toxic and self centered as we all know Biff/Griff/Buford to be. He has a women he just use for pleasure, and doesn't think twice about it. When she says "I'm pregnant" he replays "So?". Later, when she says "Its a girl" he says "Get back to me when it is a boy". When she says "Your daughter is in the crib in the next room" he says "Shut up, I'm enjoying this".
Basically, we make sure everybody hates him....at first. But after he has finished the deed with this women, he tries to sleep, but the daughter in the next room is crying. Annoyed, he goes to the crib, planning to shut her up! But as he take hold of her head with one hand and going i to shut her mouth up with his other hand,. something magical happens. The daughter looks at him with his own eye, giggles and grabs his thumb.
Junior just freezes, memorized by how this infants eyes reflects his own....and he start getting flashbacks of how he was bullied and mistreated by his father, grandfather and so on. Something within makes him realize that he needs to break this vicious cycle.... He stands there, frozen, while watching this baby slowly yawn and fall asleep, apparently feeling safe in his brutal hands.... Hours go by, junior just standing there, bewildered, confused, trying to fit this new emotions into a macho version...but failing. The sun rises, and suddenly he hears the women in the bedroom start to wake up. Quickly he exits the baby room, tries to maintain his usual callus image to hide his new sense of sensitivity.
The next couple of nights he is back, still acting like he only want to sexually use the mother, but secretly, he only want her to go asleep so he can secretly go to the crib and watch his daughter sleep....breath...dream.... He tries to hide this new found sensitivity, but one night the mother discover him. Much drama ensues, but in the end, he realize that he cant pretend anymore, he needs to break the vicious cycle and try to be a good dad.
But breaking bad habits is not done that easily. Even though junior is determine to break the cycle, there are so many situations where the knuckles are so tempting to use. He tries so hard, but fail to behave normally. With very comedic results :)
Here is one scene i have see clearly in my dreams. You know the scene from the movie "Midnight cowboy" where Dustin Hoffman walks right into traffic, a taxi stops short, and Mr Hoffman just screams "I'm walking here!!"? Well, I see the same scene with Junior Tannen, carrying his daughter, focused on talking to her, accidentally walking out in traffic, and a car stops short.
Now Junior imagines throwing his daughter aside, going to the driver side, smash the window, ripping the driver out of the seat belt and car, flinging him onto another lane, opening the driver side door, getting in just as a car behind speeds by and rips the open door from the car. He doesn't care, now he has a joyride, and he guns the car , choosing to drive on the sidewalk just terrify people!
But wait, that was only fantasy, he is still holding his daughter and standing in front of the car that had to stop short. He refuses to go that way. So what other way can he choose? Well, the direct opposite is acting like a "pussy" and say, "Ooh please forgive me, i don't deserve to be in your way" and like a doormat bowing several times while backing up o the sidewalk.
But wait, that was also a fantasy, and every fiber in his being prevents him from acting cowardly.
In this mental struggle, he can only find one middle ground. With his daughter on one hip, i smashes his fist into the hood of the car, hulk style. The hood caves in, the radiator breaks open in a puff of steam, and he is proud to have restrained himself. Which he should be! But as the rest of the people around are scared by the sound and puff of smoke, the daughter also gets frightened and starts crying. Now junior thinks he cant do anything right by her.
This mentality repeats itself over and over in different (humorous) scenarios until junior basically gives up. But not completely. He starts to blame his father and grandfather for this toxic behavior and visits his estranged father to confront him. The father is old, feeble but still toxic, and provokes Junior. Junior looses self control and the father dies from an "accident". Junior has no tears for the bastard, but now doesn't have any clue on how to be good father. But during the drama, the old bastard said something about a "Doc Brown", "Marty McFly" and "Time travel"... Out of sheer desperation, junior start doing research, and seems to find loose clues through out history....all somehow connected to his ancestors.....
There is no clear evidence, but since junior is desperate, he starts thinking....what if it is true? If there was a Doc Brown time traveler, ow would i find him? He could have died from old age long ago, or reappeared 100 years from now. He is impossible to find, but yet he seems to be the only way to go back in time and teach my old man to be a better role model... But wait, this "Marty McFly" seemed to also be a part of these time travels.... Hmmmm.... Maybe this time traveler may drop in on McFly for a friendly visit?
After a lot of detective work, he finds a "McFly" that seems to match all the criteria. But he has Parkinsons and is constantly take care of in a hospital. Junior tries to surveil him from the outside, but it doesn't work. He then realize he needs to go undercover as a male nurse, it is the only way to keep a eye on McFly and catch Doc Brown if he ever return. So junior goes through nurse school (cheating and bullshitting his way through) in order to get employed in McFlys care-taking home. (A lot of humorous potential here!).
While secretly pretending to be a nurse, he also, instinctively, disarmed a crazed gunman, and got a hero reputation at the caretakers home. "That was a weird accident" he thought, without even realizing he has already started turning into a good person.
FINALLY Doc Brown pops up to visit McFly, and Junior grabs the opportunity. But as soon as Doc sees Juniors face, Doc freezes in mid scream "GREAT SCO....". Junior didn't even have a chance to threaten him! WTF? McFly studders "Wh..wh..why?" and Junior just says "I didn't even touched him!". Junior checks docs pulse, pupil reaction, everything seams fine, but Doc is just frozen mid scream. Junior turns to McFly and tries to calm him down by pointing out that he is not here to hurt him, then Doc suddenly says "Wow, that was a weird dream...". Junior turns his face towards Doc in surprise and when Doc sees Juniors face again, he screams "GREAT SCO......". And freezes again...
"Ooh for crying out loud, is he going to freeze every time he sees my fucking face?" says Junior, and McFly says "App...app...app...". Junior finishes the sentence with "Apparently....yes. Ooookey, new plan.". Junior goes out of the room, and seems to talk to other nurses. Doc regains conciseness and complains about what a weird dream he had. McFly desperately tries to explain the situation by saying "Bi...Bi...BI!!" but Docs just humorously misinterpret McFlys attempt to say "BIFF!".
Suddenly Junior reenters, but this time with the most awful makeup imaginable. Lipstick up to his earlobes, Eyeshadow down to his cheeks. BUT! This time Doc does freeze! Now junior talks seriously (with horrendous face) to Doc and explain why he needs to go back. To change his own upbringing to break the vicious cycle.
Doc listens intently, weirded out by the makeup, but still recognizing the facial outline of a Tannen.... And when Junior has pored his heart out, Doc just says "Im sorry Buford, i mean, Griff, err i mean Biff, err, whatever... but i destroyed all possible ways to reinvent the time machine. This was a one way trip, and when i finished this time machine, i filled my own head with a lot of confusing rabbit holes and scientific dead ends....Because i realized i was the single point of failure. I couldn't even travel through time if my own life depended on it."
Now Junior breaks down, crying. Hopeless. The only last desperate hope he had, the hope he become a nurse to accomplish, is now gone. But the McFly, which all his might, stretches out a shaking hand to comfort Junior. Junior, collapsed on the floor, looks up to McFlys face, and McFly says, with unusual clarity "Co...COW...COWARD!".
And in that moment Junior realized that giving up is not an option when you have your lineage depending on you. It was a harsh word, but Junior needed this harsh word to man up. Junior composes himself, stands up, wipes the makeup of his faces, and asks them both "Please teach me how to be a good father".
From this moment on, we still follow Junior, as he learns more about why Doc is "Back in town" and help out in his own brutal way.
Now we have:
Junior Tanner: Brutal, aggressive, intimidating, street smart. But dedicated to becoming a good dad. If a Neo-Nazi march is jeopardizing the plans, Junior will make sure they piss their pants while running away. No finesse, just results!
Marty McFly: Super smart, but afflicted by Parkinson's. Thinks outside the box, great at improvising when shit hits the fan. The perfect distraction in any plan.
Doc Brown: Keeper of the disturbing truth. Fragile, occasionally senile, spontaneously freezes when timeline important events happen. But the only witness to what is wrong and the only brain capable of figuring out how to fix it. Also shouts "Great Scott" when he has revelation, which i think we all can agree is an over all positive attribute.
Lorraine: McFlys loving wife. Does not want to relive any time travel, but reluctantly helps the group when she learns that time travel is impossible. Dont mistake her wrinkles for lack of charm. When she wants, she can make any man walk right into a street pole!
Clara: Docs one true love and scientifically passionate women. Even corrects Doc about scientific facts now and then when he is incorrect. Wouldn't dream of using her female charm, but instead is excellent in logical argumentation: "So you say you are a guard? Well who are you guarding? I am an old woman, are you guarding me? Tell me mister guard, WHO exactly are you guarding?! Are they afraid of old women?!"
Jules: One of Docs sons. Doesn't remember any time travels, but has become a extraordinarily brilliant civil engineer. Can find out any blueprint of any roads, bridges, dams, etc. Very valuable information source in planning stages, but must never be implicated.
Verne: The other of Docs sons, a very brilliant philosopher. Doesn't clearly remember time travel either, but has a fascination about time dependent philosophy. DO NOT MENTION TIME PARADOXES! Can figure out the most complex scenarios if it is given as a hypothetical mental challenge. Very valuable in planning stages, but must never be implicated.
Strickland: You see that rock? You know whats tougher than that rock? Yup, its Strickland! But surprise, surprise, it is all a facade, he is actually a softy when no one is watching. Cant be trusted with time travel knowledge, but can definitely be an ally in seemingly "normal" circumstances. Can be used as a tool, but deserves recognition for bravery and chivalry when ever he intervenes. Cant resist an old timely charm as Clara. And a fantastic babysitter!
And so on and so forth.
Basically, what i am suggesting is to offer all these original actors a chance to do what they love, ACTING! And if we give them an acting challenge, an nuanced evolution of their original character, and on top of that, write the story so they need to con people now and then, by acting completely different in order to trick guards, officials, neighbors and so forth, in order to accomplish the goals....I mean....Which professional actor would be able to deny such an excellent opportunity to showcase their acting range?
For instance:
Junior Tannen is forced to act like a transvestite. Why? He needed to talk to an informant that chose a gay club as a meeting place. But the guards suspected him of being a homophobic troublemaker and denied him entrance. Now he have to swallow his toxic masculinity, dress and act like a transvestite, in order to get in and find the informant.
What? Why are you questioning this story line? It could happen! I mean, it might not be probable, but it could theoretically happen! Besides, you know you don't care about realism, you just want to see Junior Tannen do a really good transvestite act! Right? Me too! Well....i guess Thomas F. Wilson might not enjoy this particular scene, but we have a story to tell! Take one for the team Mrs Wilson! Erm...i mean MR Wilson....sorry....
McFly impersonates a rich eccentric investors that only judges with his eyes and never speak. With excellent anticipation techniques, such as painfully uncomfortable silences, it will be fantastic!
Doc Brown: The best trickster of all! A scout, going in and out of places just to gather intel. Acting any role necessary to get clues, and then leaving, without anyone batting their eyes. Super adaptive, if any surprise happens, he handles it live. In worst case scenario, the police thinks is senile and give him a free ride to a very low security facility. Easy to solve. HOWEVER, DO NOT BANK ON HIM DURING COVERT OPERATIONS! Hes a great scout, but a unpredictable fail safe.
Lorraine: Observing, calculating and invisible. You know that russian that was the worlds best chess player before computers came along? Yeah, he WISHED he had Lorraine whispering helpful tips from the shadows!
Clara: Having to pretend to believe pseudo scientific claims! "Ooh, so you do divination do you, how interesting, please tell me more! *Trying desperately not to puke*"
Jules: When the government ask questions about his father, he suddenly "remembers" weird things that confuses them ;)
Verne: "You ask about my father. But what is a "Father". Is it someone you trust? In that case no one is my father. How can you trust anyone, when you know that everyone lies under the veil of "white lies". And speaking of which, what is "white"? Is it the sunshine? Or the color of a piece of paper? Two very different thing......"
Strickland: "I tell you once and not twice: FUCK OFF!". A cactus has more charm! But when alone, he dances with his wife while they are doing the dishes, and listens intently when the children tell about their school day.
So much room for acting and demonstrating their range.
OK, so now i guess your asking "But why the fuck did Doc return!?! What is his purpose!?!". Sorry, but i will save that puzzle piece for the future. If you show enough interest.
But for now, i just have one question for you all:
Do you agree with me that with the right character evolution and the right story line, we can convince even the most BTTF tired actor to become interested?
And please, if you have even more insightful ideas, don't keep it to yourself!
P.S. Because i just have to: https://youtu.be/MPphWCr4ba8?si=q2m1EJT-aWF2ekXt