The West End looks set to rock around the clock: Back to the Future is to become a West End musical in time for the film's 30th anniversary next year. The movie, a huge hit in 1985, starred Michael J Fox as Marty McFly, the California teenager who jeopardises his parents' high-school relationship after accidentally time-travelling back to 1955.
The film's director, Robert Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale have reunited for the musical, a project they've been considering for a decade. Their script reportedly follows the original plot, but makes some changes. "The script stands on its own," Gale said. "It's a different version of the same story."
British director Jamie Lloyd, who is currently working on the UK premiere of Urinetown: The Musical, will take charge of the DeLorean time machine after running two separate workshops for the musical later this year, one in Los Angeles, another in London. He'll bring along his regular collaborators, designer Soutra Gilmour and lighting designer Jon Clark.
Gale said: "We met Brits, and we met Americans, but we decided on the Brits – Jamie and Colin [producer Colin Ingram] – because they're seeing our material through slightly different cultural eyes."
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While the musical will feature a number of songs from the original soundtrack, including The Power of Love and Johnny B Goode, its composer Alan Silvestri, who worked on the original film, is creating some new material. He will collaborate with the songwriter Glen Ballard, who has form with screen-to-stage musicals, having worked on Ghost: The Musical.
Casting has not begun and neither dates nor a host venue have been announced.
