Netflix has reportedly swapped out a censored version of Back to the Future: Part II after fans noticed a small edit and screenwriter Bob Gale caught wind of the change.
The scene in question centers on Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly returning to 1955 to retrieve a sports almanac from a young Biff Tannen. At one point, he thinks he’s succeeded, but discovers the almanac’s dust cover has been placed over a copy of Oh La La magazine.
In the edited version, the scene is cut short so you don’t see the cover of the magazine. In talking with The Hollywood Reporter, Gale explained what he believes happened.
“Apparently, this was a foreign version which neither director Robert Zemeckis nor I even knew existed, for some country that had a problem with the Oh La La magazine cover. I asked that the studio destroy this version.”
Gale, who co-wrote the original Back to the Future with Zemeckis and wrote the screenplays for its two sequels, also added that the issue stems from the version Universal supplied to Netflix, rather than the streaming company actively trying to alter the film.
“FYI, Netflix does not edit films — they only run the versions that are supplied to them. So they’re blameless,” he said. “You can direct your ire at Universal, but I think they will be a lot more careful in the future — and with ‘the future.’”
In any case, the unedited version is now available on Netflix, along with the rest of the trilogy. Origins aside, we’ve seen a number of instances where streaming services have opted to provide altered versions of popular shows and movies, or even remove specific episodes from long-running series.
The Disney+ version of Splash caused a bit of a, well, splash after viewers noticed the addition of computer-generated hair to cover up actress Daryl Hannah during a scene on the beach.
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