How a Budget Cut Created Back to the Future’s Lightning Strike Moment (Ep. 74)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Tv & Film

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey celebrate Back to the Future Day by revealing how one of cinema’s most iconic moments, the lightning strike finale, was born from a Universal Studios budget cut. Plus, the duo unwrap the latest holiday news from Universal Orlando and Hollywood, discuss a controversial new “pay-per-ride” Express Pass test, and share updates from the Wicked movie preview at the parks. Universal’s 2024 holiday celebrations at Orlando and Hollywood Super Nintendo World’s first-ever holiday overlay and exclusive merch Why Universal is testing single-ride Express Passes and what it could mean for guests Michael J. Fox’s new memoir and his first trip to Universal Studios Hollywood How a budget cut led to Back to the Future’s unforgettable lightning strike finale Even 40 years later, Back to the Future proves that great ideas and great movies are timeless. Follow Eric on X and Instagram @EricHersey Follow Jim on X and Instagram @JimHillMedia Unlocked Magic Unlocked Magic, powered by DVC Rental Store and DVC Resale Market, offers exclusive Disney & Universal ticket savings with TRUSTED service and authenticity. With over $10 MILLION in ticket sales, use Unlocked Magic to get the BIGGEST SAVINGS. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn More Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	At Lidl, there's always more to value.
0:17.8	Like saving £28 on this week's big shop
0:20.2	when you switch to Lidl plus from
0:21.6	Tesco Club card. See the shop at little.orguturikas slash save. Liddle more to value. 18 plus Gb only offer ends, fifth of 11th, 25, price check, 20th of 10th, 25 and pro rata based on size. Tesco also sell other products, excludes, multi-buy's teas and C supply. Welcome back to the Epic Universal podcast.
0:38.2	I'm entertainment writer Jim Hill, and this is the podcast where we cover the latest
0:43.0	universal news, rumors and history.
0:46.0	And as always, I'm joined by Eric Hersey.
0:49.1	And I guess if we're going to jump right into the news, Eric.
0:54.4	Universal Pictures actually had the number one film at the box office this past weekend.
1:00.6	Black Phone 2.
1:02.9	Okay.
1:03.6	I'm going to say Gabby's Dollhouse, but that's not quite there yet.
1:06.9	Actually, that was number seven, but it's it's been hanging in there um and and of course
1:13.9	black phone two is a sequel to the original black phone which went out in the theaters back in june of
1:20.1	2022 but we're not sure to talk about that somewhat older movie uh on today's show we're going to
1:25.7	actually do quite a bit of talking about a uh a film that's celebrating its 40th anniversary just this year, right?
1:33.6	Yeah, Jim, and I just binge watched all three of them a month ago. So I just kind of was getting
1:39.7	geared up. I didn't really realize today was Back to the Future Day.
1:51.4	Yeah. In fact, well, what Eric is alluding to is we are actually recording this week's show on October 21st, 2025. And if you remember from Back to the Future 2, when, what is it, it's Doc and Marty, they go back to the far off year or the far-head year of 2015 to stop Marty Jr. from mixing in with Biff's grandson. But anyway, this is the day they arrive in the future, October 21st, 2015. So it's a 10th anniversary of Doc and Marty traveling to the future. But anyway, you came across a, you know, and I guess
2:35.9	Universal in honor of this is sending back to the future out into theaters again this year on
2:42.2	October 31st, Halloween night. And you came across actually a pretty cool collectible that
2:49.6	they're making available here.
	...

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