With the release of the 25th Anniversary Edition of Back to the Future ready to hit Blu-ray disc and DVD on October 26th, there is some original footage surfacing of Eric Stoltz, who was originally cast as the lead in the film before Michael J. Fox.  Stoltz had apparently worked on director Robert Zemeckis’ set for more than five weeks but as Zemeckis said that they weren’t getting the laughs that he was hoping to have gotten from his performance.  This led to a meeting with producer Steven Spielberg and marked Stoltz’s eventual ouster and Fox’s opportunity for stardom.

Zemeckis called the casting change a “horrific decision; it was heartbreaking for everybody.” I guess maybe for Stoltz, but not so much for MJF. He parlayed the $381 million grosser into two sequels, movie stardom and worldwide fame and adulation. Stoltz got a pat on the back and a solid career as a bit of a journeyman star, if you will.  Now, I like Stoltz and think he is a fine actor; I would qualify him as underutilized to this day (anyone who loves Pulp Fiction like me, can attest to that).  But in truth, it is almost impossible for me to see anyone else in the role of Marty McFly other than Michael J. Fox.  Of course, seeing the footage below makes me realize that Stoltz was robbed years ago, as he nailed every scene shown in this clip.

This is not something new of course, as these things happen all the time. Decisions have to be made on multi-million dollar projects daily. Actors reject roles, directors leave films and are replaced; things like this occur often in Tinseltown.  What makes this interesting is the revelation of the facts some 25 years later and having some video footage to prove it.  Check it out and let me know if you think Stoltz was the right choice all along.