Back to the Future ride could return to Universal, co-writer says

Bob Gale thinks the ride’s fans might be enough to bring it back, and The Simpsons’ license could open the door. Here’s what he said and what stands in the way.

Back to the Future: The Ride has been gone from Universal for almost 20 years. One of the people who made the movie hasn’t given up on it.

Co-writer and producer Bob Gale told UPI the film’s lasting popularity “might warrant restoring the ride,” UPI’s Fred Topel reported Friday, Oct. 23. He also floated a way it could happen.

Universal hasn’t announced anything, and Gale didn’t say he’d talked to the company about it. Here’s what he said, and why it’s harder than it sounds.

What did Bob Gale say about the Back to the Future ride?

He pointed to The Simpsons. Universal replaced Back to the Future: The Ride with The Simpsons Ride in both U.S. parks, and Disney now owns The Simpsons.

“The Simpsons is now owned by Disney,” Gale told UPI. “When their license expires, Disney might say, ‘We want this in our theme parks,’” he added.

If that ever happened, the ride building would need a new tenant. Gale clearly has one in mind.

Could the Back to the Future ride show up in theaters instead?

Gale looked into it. He’s been exploring whether the ride’s film could be shown in 4DX theaters, the kind with seats that move, according to UPI.

“I think there were some rights issues that made that not feasible,” Gale said.

He knows the format. Gale supervised the 4DX version of the original movie, which played in theaters for one day on Oct. 21, Back to the Future Day, Attractions Magazine reported.

His only note was to tone the seats down. “They just want to shake your seat as much as possible,” he told UPI. “I said, ‘Don’t do that.’”

Has Bob Gale pushed for the ride before?

Yes. At a Universal event in October 2025 for the movie’s 40th anniversary, Gale suggested fans start a letter-writing campaign to bring the ride back, WDW News Today reported.

He also called the ride’s closing “a crime,” as PNP reported Oct. 5 in its look back at the attraction.

When did Back to the Future: The Ride close?

March 30, 2007, at Universal Studios Florida, and Sept. 3, 2007, at Universal Studios Hollywood, as PNP has reported. A third version ran at Universal Studios Japan until 2016.

The Florida ride opened in 1991 and put guests in eight-seat DeLoreans under huge dome screens, chasing Biff Tannen through time with Doc Brown. The Simpsons Ride took over the same domes and motion bases in 2008.

Here’s a full ride-through of the original Florida ride from Crazy About Disney:

Is The Simpsons Ride leaving Universal?

Nobody has said so. Universal’s deal for The Simpsons is reported to run about 20 years, which could end it around 2028, WDWNT reported. Neither company has confirmed the terms.

Disney picked up The Simpsons when it bought most of 21st Century Fox in 2019. That’s why the question keeps coming up.

Simpsons co-showrunner Matt Selman has argued the other way. He said removing The Simpsons Ride would “destroy” Universal, WDWNT reported.

Where can you find Back to the Future at Universal now?

In a few spots. At Universal Studios Florida, the DeLorean and Doc Brown’s time train are on display near Springfield, and Doc Brown sometimes roams the park, WDWNT reported.

Universal’s Great Movie Escape at CityWalk runs Back to the Future: OUTATIME, an escape room where guests stop Biff from wrecking the timeline, according to Attractions Magazine.

At Universal Studios Hollywood, the Studio Tour still passes the Hill Valley Courthouse Square set. Last year’s Fan Fest Nights turned it into 1955 Hill Valley, complete with the clock tower lightning strike, Attractions Magazine reported.

What else did Gale say about Back to the Future?

Plenty. He was promoting Back to the Future: The Complete Screenplay, which includes his own annotated copy of the script, UPI reported.

He ruled out a Back to the Future Part IV. By 2010, he said, they knew Michael J. Fox had Parkinson’s disease, so a sequel “was just not going to happen.”

He also isn’t releasing the footage Eric Stoltz shot before Fox took over as Marty. “We don’t want to hurt anybody,” Gale said.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• UPI, Fred Topel (Oct. 23, 2026, via Yahoo), Gale’s comments on the ride, 4DX, The Simpsons, Part IV and Stoltz

• WDW News Today (Oct. 23, 2025), the letter-writing campaign, the Simpsons deal reports, Selman’s comment and the DeLorean display

• Attractions Magazine, Dani Meyering (Sept. 21, 2026), the Oct. 21 4DX rerelease, OUTATIME and Destination Hill Valley

• Pirates & Princesses (Oct. 5, 2026), the ride’s history and closing dates

• Crazy About Disney on YouTube (Oct. 25, 2015), the ride-through video

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.