FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Entertainment

'Back to the Future II' Designer Reveals Treasure Trove of Forgotten Concept Art

Designer Edward Eyth's 20-year-old concepts don't exist yet, but that doesn't mean we're not still waiting for rehydrated pizza, robo-nannies, and automated chefs.

Virtual 3D Headsets, Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth, Images via.

If Back to the Future II was some sort of spacetime-defying documentary, then this year we'd be able to expect a slew of technological miracles like robotic nannies, shrink-to-fit jackets, and pizza rehydrators. Unfortunately it's fiction, save for the few real-life inventions the franchise predicted would be real by 2015, including fingerprint scanners, power-tied Nikes, and hoverboards. A small consolation lies in the intricate concept art that designer Edward Eyth just released to the public, 24 years after Back to the Future II's debut.

Advertisement

The Oculus Rift-like "holo-viewers," smartwatch-like wrist communicators, and spectrum of specialized vending machines that helped Back to the Future II capture generations of devoted fans required a whole lot of detail work on the part of its artists, Eyth included. Many of the images come complete with descriptions of how the devices operate, along with several angles that capture the width and breadth of the ideas. Director Robert Zemeckis nixed many fictional technologies that didn't feel right for his vision, including a giant aquarium for raising and catching live fish.

“We were highly motivated to make it so we didn't look like fools in 25 years,” Eyth told Newsweek. “We knew that when we see movies like Metropolis, when they're speculating about the future, it can be so far off. We weren't that far off, I guess, on a number of occasions.”

Eyth held onto the concept art from Back to the Future II for over two decades before deciding to publish several alongside his Newsweek interview. Many more designs are now available on the artist's website. Check out a few below:

_Wall Mounted Touch ID and Fax Machine, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

_Wrist Communicator and Micro Disk Player, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

_McFly Residence Kitch 2015, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

_Pizza Rehydrator Effects Sequence, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

_Dehydrated Pizza Package, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

Advertisement

_Refrigerator, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

'Police Patrol Car, 2015,' Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth

_Robotic Food Preparation Devices, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

_Robonanny, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

_Info Nerd Devices, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

_Finger Print I.D. Vending Screen, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

_Mobile Automated Hot Dog Vending Unit, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

_80's Themed Diner, _Universal Pictures/Edward Eyth__

Visit Eyth's website here for more of his work, which includes projects for Steven Spielberg, Disney, and Jim Henson.

H/t Newsweek

Related:

Retro-Future Robots Populate These Detailed Sci-Fi Paintings

"Back To The Future" Gets The Remix Treatment From Pogo & Skye

Tony Hawk Just Ate it Riding the Real-Life Hoverboard

A Polish Painter Combined Rural Landscapes with Giant Robots