'Back to the Future 4' Just Became More Likely Following Director's Comments

Seeing another film in the Back to the Future franchise is so unlikely there’s a bigger chance of a time-traveling DeLorean being invented. And if that does happen, we’d probably just visit the future to see whether Back to the Future 4 is inevitable (and Jaws 19, of course).

It’s no mystery that Back to the Future trilogy writer/producer Bob Gale and writer/director Robert Zemeckis have gone on record to condemn the idea of a fourth film in the series ever happening, with Gale likening such a thought to “selling your own kids into prostitution.”

Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) shocked at seeing his younger dad in the diner in 'Back to the Future' — Credit: Universal Studios

The stars of the films aren’t against the idea, though. Marty McFly actor Michael J Fox thinks it’s about time for a female-led Back to the Future film, while Doc Emmett Brown actor Christopher Lloyd has expressed an interest in returning to the franchise.

Meanwhile, the Internet continues to imagine a new Back to the Future film, and the latest fan-made (or AI-made) trailer puts Marvel star Tom Holland, whose name is quite often thrown around when it comes to fan-casting, into Marty McFly’s self-tying sneakers.

Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown (L) and Michael J Fox as Marty McFly (R) testing the DeLorean in 'Back to the Future' — Credit: Universal Studios

But whether a sequel, prequel, or reboot, a fourth Back to the Future film is unlikely to ever happen, which might be hard to believe given the age we live in, which sees almost every franchise exhumed from the sands of time for some sort of rehash.

That all said, the chances of Back to the Future 4 one day coming to fruition may have just increased ever so slightly (which, in Hollywood terms, is probably quite a bit), based on recent comments made by Robert Zemeckis regarding a sequel to another one of his films.

The Conductor (Tom Hanks) greeting Hero Boy in 'The Polar Express' — Credit: Castle Rock Entertainment / Warner Bros. Pictures

In an interview with Comicbook.com, the director revealed that a sequel to his iconic 3D-animated, motion-capture Christmas classic, The Polar Express (2004), may be in development, saying that the project is being “worked out.”

The Polar Express is a Christmas Eve tale about a young boy struggling to believing in Santa Claus who boards a magical steam train bound for the North Pole, where he embarks on a whimsical, spellbinding adventure with new friends and mysterious figures.

Hero Boy looking surprised in 'The Polar Express' — Credit: Castle Rock Entertainment / Warner Bros. Pictures

You’re probably thinking the same thing we are: The Polar Express is completely “un-sequel-izable,” for lack of a better term. The 2004 film, which stars Tom Hanks (in many roles), is based on the classic 1985 children’s picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg.

But Allsburg also wrote Jumanji (1981), which has already been turned into three major motion-picture films, so it may come as no surprise to those familiar with Allsburg’s work that The Polar Express is probably due to make another stop at movie theaters.

Doc Brown looking confused in 'Back to the Future' (1985) — Credit: Universal Studios

And now that the seemingly one-off beloved Christmas classic, of all things, is getting a sequel, perhaps nothing is sacred in Hollywood after all, not even the Back to the Future franchise, as Zemeckis may eventually decide to make another film in that series, too.

Back to the Future and The Polar Express don’t just share the same director — they may also share the same universe, as there’s a major clue in the 2004 Christmas classic that points that points towards this possibility (you have to see it to believe).

Do you think Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis will eventually give in and make Back to the Future 4? Let Inside the Magic know your thoughts in the comments down below!