Back to the Future 40th Anniversary: Beloved Sci-Fi Classic Returns to IMAX Screens

Get ready to punch your ticket back to Hill Valley, because Back to the Future is zooming into IMAX theaters on October 31, 2025 for its 40th anniversary. Fans and newcomers alike will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the original 1985 time‐travel adventure like never before, on the biggest, most immersive screens available.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as the eccentric Doc Brown, Back to the Future remains one of the most beloved films of the 1980s. In this throwback favorite, Marty is accidentally sent back to 1955 in Doc’s modified DeLorean and must make sure his teenage parents fall in love or risk erasing his own existence.

This fall’s reissue marks the first time the film will be shown in IMAX format, offering audiences sharper visuals and a grander scale to match the epic spirit of the story. Alongside IMAX, the film will also screen in premium formats like Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and D-Box, just in case you’re up for a bit of motion with your time travel.

Universal and IMAX have already rolled out a new trailer and special anniversary posters to stoke excitement. Tickets are available now for the limited theatrical run. The reissue is part of a broader 40th anniversary campaign: on October 14, Universal will release a deluxe Back to the Future Trilogy – 40th Anniversary box set. This collector’s edition includes all three films in 4K Ultra HD plus Blu-ray and digital, a steelbook, a replica Gibson mini guitar, an OUTATIME license plate, and a booklet packed with archival photos and behind-the-scenes stories.

New bonus content is also on the way: a retrospective interview with Bob Gale (co-writer and producer), a panel discussion from the TCM Classic Film Festival, a mission to locate the guitar Michael J. Fox played in the famous Enchantment Under the Sea dance, and “untold stories” from cast and crew members. These extras promise to give longtime fans fresh insight and raise the bar for how we revisit cinematic milestones.

This anniversary reissue is not just nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. By bringing Back to the Future to top-tier presentation formats, Universal is inviting audiences to rediscover what made this film magical and to see it in a new light. If you’ve never handled a flux capacitor or heard the thunderous engine roar of that DeLorean, now’s your chance to feel it in IMAX.

So mark your calendar for Halloween 2025, grab a ticket, and prepare for 1 hour and 56 minutes of pure 80s sci-fi adventure. Whether you saw the film in theaters back in the day or are hearing about Marty and Doc for the first time, this is your moment to blast off into a time-bending classic and see it in full cinematic glory. Great Scott!