Back to the Future Created a Hilarious Hollywood Hoax With Its Sequel

One of the biggest hits of the ’80s is now a classic. Back to the Future won over a huge audience, received numerous awards, made history in pop culture and entertainment, and was even named one of the best sci-fi films by the American Film Institute. No surprise, really – it even ended up as an unintended trilogy because of how successful it was. The real magic of it all came from its futuristic aesthetic, which totally caught people’s attention. From flying cars to self-lacing shoes, the film’s vision of the future was captivating. But one particular thing really stood out when it showed up in the second movie.

The famous hoverboard that Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) finds blew audiences away, and the moment a hoax started spreading that it was actually real, people went crazy trying to find one. As ridiculous as it seems now – a flying skateboard, and considering the tech of the time when Back to the Future Part II was released, it was way too advanced – it really shows just how powerful Hollywood can be. Fans lost their minds over the idea of owning a hoverboard, and this whole joke spread like wildfire until suddenly, a massive number of people wanted one.

But if you think this all started with some random rumor, think again. It actually kicked off because of a behind-the-scenes featurette where director Robert Zemeckis straight-up said that the hoverboard was real. According to him, the only reason it wasn’t on the market was because of safety concerns. And, of course, he said it so convincingly that tons of people totally fell for it – no one even considered that he might just be kidding.

In Back to the Future Part II, the hoverboard makes its first appearance when Marty’s in the future, running from Griff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) and his gang in the Hill Valley of 2015. After a scuffle at Cafe ’80s, Griff comes after him, and Marty tries to get away. He rushes into the street, and in a desperate move, snatches a pink Mattel hoverboard from a little girl. The second he hops on, he realizes it works just like a regular skateboard – except no wheels, no contact with the ground. From there, an intense chase kicks off, with even the bullies grabbing their own (way more powerful) hoverboards to try and catch him.

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It’s worth pointing out that, even though this was just a joke that got way out of hand, there were actually scenes of “real hoverboards” in the behind-the-scenes footage on the DVD release – which made it nearly impossible not to believe. After that, the demand went through the roof. People swarmed toy stores, and even Mattel itself got flooded with calls.

Zemeckis never really followed up with any kind of explanation. But Thomas F. Wilson has a satirical song from his stand-up comedy where he pokes fun at all the repetitive questions he always gets about Back to the Future. “The Question Song” has three different versions with slightly changed lyrics, and in one of them, he flat-out says he still gets asked if hoverboards are real. His response? Short and sweet: “It’s a movie.”

Still, even though the ’80s didn’t give the world a real flying skateboard (and neither did 2015), the search to make one happen never really stopped. Over the years, companies and inventors have been working on tech to bring the hoverboard from Back to the Future Part II to life. Even now, people are still trying to make it a reality, hoping that, just like in the movie, it’ll eventually be something anyone can buy. With technology advancing as fast as it is, it honestly seems like just a matter of time.

In the end, what started as a joke turned into amazing marketing for the movie. The Back to the Future sequel pulled in around $118 million worldwide and kept gaining new fans as the years went on. Even now, that’s still happening. The hoverboard has become an icon of the trilogy – one of the most memorable futuristic gadgets ever, right up there with Doc Brown’s legendary DeLorean.

Back to the Future Part II is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.