Editing Back to the Future (section)

==Release==
===Context===
{{See also|1985 in film}}
[[File:Back-to-the-future-logo.svg|thumb|alt=refer to caption|The logo for ''Back to the Future'']]

By June 1985, the theatrical industry had experienced a 14% decline in ticket sales over the previous year's $4{{spaces}}billion record sales. The summer period (beginning the final week of May) had 45{{spaces}}films scheduled for release, including ''[[Rambo: First Blood Part&nbsp;II]]'', ''The Goonies'', ''[[Brewster's Millions (1985 film)|Brewster's Millions]]'', ''[[Fletch (film)|Fletch]]'', and the latest [[James Bond]] film ''[[A View to a Kill]]''.<ref name="NYTimes1985June11" /> This 25% increase over the previous year's releases led to concerns among industry professionals the competition would divide audiences and limit financial returns, at a time when the average cost of making and marketing a film had increased to $14.5{{spaces}}million and $7{{spaces}}million, respectively.<ref name="NYTimes1985June11" /> A higher budget to secure a popular, and thus profitable, cast was considered a suitable risk.<ref name="NYTimes1985June11" /> Most films scheduled for release were aimed at younger audiences, focusing on fantasy and the supernatural. Reflecting the times, these fantasy elements often employed a technological source instead of a magical one.<ref name="NYTimes1985PostMortemCanby" /> Only a few films, like ''Cocoon'' and ''[[Prizzi's Honor]]'', targeted adults.<ref name="NYTimesSeptBOOverview" />

Initially, ''Back to the Future'' was scheduled to be released in May 1985,{{sfn|Gaines|2015|p=2}} but was pushed back to June{{spaces}}21, the earliest Zemeckis could have the film ready. The delay caused by Stoltz's replacement pushed the release back to July{{spaces}}19, and later to August.<ref name="EsquireDidntGetMade" /> Sheinberg moved the release date forward to July{{spaces}}3, giving it an extra sixteen days of theatrical screen time during the industry's most profitable period of the year. The move offered about 100,000 extra screenings, together worth an estimated $40{{spaces}}million. He said he also wanted to avoid the negative perception of films released later in the summer period; other [[blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] films were usually released early.<ref name="NYTDateMovedUp" /> The change required renegotiations with theater owners to secure screens in an already-crowded marketplace. In some cities, it was legally required that exhibitors be shown a film before purchase; an unfinished cut of the film was shown to theater owners and young test audiences. They described it as lesser than ''E.T.{{spaces}}the Extra-Terrestrial'' or ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', but still a guaranteed box office hit.<ref name="NYTDateMovedUp" /> Fox was unavailable for promotional work because he was filming ''[[List of Family Ties episodes#Film (1985)|Family Ties Vacation]]'' (1985) in London.{{sfn|Gaines|2015|p=113}}

===Box office===
In the United States (U.S.) and Canada, ''Back to the Future'' received a wide release on July{{spaces}}3, 1985, ahead of the [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] holiday weekend.<ref name="NYTimes1985July3Maslin" /><ref name="BOMDaily" /> The film earned $3.6{{spaces}}million during the opening Wednesday and Thursday,<ref name="BOMDaily" /> and a further $11.3{{spaces}}million during its inaugural weekend from 1,420 theaters{{snd}}an average of $7,853 per theater.<ref name="BOMWeekends" /> ''Back to the Future'' finished as the number one film of the weekend ahead of Western ''[[Pale Rider]]'' ($7{{spaces}}million), in its second weekend, and ''Rambo: First Blood Part{{spaces}}II'' ($6.4{{spaces}}million) in its seventh.<ref name="BOMNAWeekendJul5to7" /> It retained the number one position in its second weekend with a further gross of $10.6{{spaces}}million, ahead of the debuting action film ''[[Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]'' ($7.8{{spaces}}million) and ''Cocoon'' ($5{{spaces}}million),<ref name="BOMNAWeekendJul12to14" /> and in its third weekend, ahead of the re-release of ''E.T.{{spaces}}the Extra-Terrestrial'' ($8.8{{spaces}}million) and ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' ($5.4{{spaces}}million).<ref name="BomNAWeekendJul19to21" /> Although it fell to number two in its fourth weekend, behind the debuting ''[[National Lampoon's European Vacation]]'' ($12.3{{spaces}}million), ''Back to the Future'' regained the number one position in its fifth weekend and remained there for the following eight weeks.<ref name="BOMWeekends" /><ref name="NYTimesBOAug71985" /> Recalling the opening weeks, Gale said, "our second weekend was higher than our first weekend, which is indicative of great [[word of mouth]]."<ref name="BOMGaleInterview" />

The film remained a steady success, earning $155{{spaces}}million by October, surpassing ''Rambo: First Blood Part{{spaces}}II''{{'}}s $149{{spaces}}million box office earnings to become the year's highest-grossing film.<ref name="NYTimesOct4Summ" /><ref name="NYTimesSeptBOOverview" /> In total, ''Back to the Future'' was the number one film for eleven of its twelve first weeks and remained in the top ten highest-grossing films for a total of twenty-four.<ref name="BOMWeekends" /> By the end of its theatrical run, ''Back to the Future'' earned an approximate box office gross of $210.6{{spaces}}million,<ref name="BomBOSummary" />{{efn|The 1985 United States and Canada box office gross of $210.6{{spaces}}million is equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|210600000|1985}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}.}} making it the highest-grossing film of 1985, ahead of ''Rambo: First Blood Part{{spaces}}II'' ($150.4{{spaces}}million), the sports drama ''[[Rocky&nbsp;IV]]'' ($127.9{{spaces}}million), and the drama ''[[The Color Purple (1985 film)|The Color Purple]]'' ($94.2{{spaces}}million).<ref name="TheNumbersNA1985" /><ref name="BOMNA1985" /> [[Box Office Mojo]] estimated more than 59{{spaces}}million tickets were sold.<ref name="BOMTickets" /> Industry experts suggest that as of 1997 the [[Film distribution|box office returns to the studio]] (minus the theaters' share) was $105.5{{spaces}}million.<ref name="VarietyRentals" />{{efn|The estimated returns to the studio from the United States and Canada box office gross is $105.5{{spaces}}million, equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|105500000|1985}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}.}}

The year was considered an unsuccessful one for film. Despite a record number of film releases, ticket sales were down 17% compared with 1984.<ref name="NYTimesSeptBOOverview" /><ref name="NYTimes1985Review" /> Industry executives blamed the problem, in part, on a lack of originality,<ref name="NYTimes1985July3" /> and a glut of youth-oriented films targeted at those under{{spaces}}18.<ref name="NYTimesSeptBOOverview" /><ref name="NYTimes1985Xmas" /> Only ''Back to the Future'' and ''Rambo: First Blood Part{{spaces}}II'' were considered blockbusters, earning more than double the box office of ''Cocoon''.<ref name="NYTimesSeptBOOverview" /> Films offering escapism and pro-America themes also fared well.<ref name="NYTimes1985Xmas" /> After years of poor performances, ''Back to the Future'', alongside ''Fletch'', ''Brewster's Millions'', and ''Mask'', reversed Universal Pictures' fortunes.<ref name="NYTimes1985Xmas" /><ref name="NYTimesOctMovieGiant" />

Outside the United States and Canada, the film earned a further estimated $170.5{{spaces}}million,{{sfn|Gaines|2015|p=115}}{{efn|The 1985 worldwide box office gross of $170.5{{spaces}}million is equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|170500000|1985}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}.}} making it the third-highest-grossing film of the year, behind the romantic drama ''[[Out of Africa (film)|Out of Africa]]'' ($179.1{{spaces}}million) and ''Rocky{{spaces}}IV'' ($172.6{{spaces}}million).{{sfn|Gaines|2015|p=115}} Cumulatively, ''Back to the Future'' earned a worldwide gross of $381.1{{spaces}}million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1985, ahead of ''Rocky{{spaces}}IV'' ($300.5{{spaces}}million) and ''Rambo: First Blood Part{{spaces}}II'' ($300.4{{spaces}}million).<ref name="BomBOSummary" /><ref name="TheNumbers85Worldwide" /><ref name="Bom85Worldwide" />{{efn|The 1985 worldwide box office gross of $381.1{{spaces}}million is equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|381100000|1985}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}.}} ''Back to the Future'' has received several theatrical re-releases to celebrate anniversaries, including a remastered version screened in 2010. These releases have raised the film's worldwide total to $388.8{{spaces}}million.<ref name="HomeMediaIndy" /><ref name="BOMAllReleasesSum" />