‘Back to the Future’ vs. ‘Teen Wolf’: Which 1985 Michael J. Fox Movie Did Better?
Some movies help define an era, while others receive niche appreciation. In 1985, Michael J. Fox starred in Back to the Future, one of the most popular movies of the decade. That same year, he appeared in another hit film that left its own mark. Here’s a look at Fox’s second most famous film of 1985.
Michael J. Fox cashed in on 1950s nostalgia with ‘Back to the Future’ and 1 other movie
Back to the Future was part of a 1980s wave of 1950s nostalgia. This trend also revived many 1950s horror films, which is why Hollywood gave us remakes of Invaders from Mars, The Blob, The Thing, and The Fly. During that epoch of Hollywood history, Fox headlined Teen Wolf, an original film that was obviously mimicking the success of the 1950s cult favorite I Was a Teenage Werewolf.
Teen Wolf also capitalized on the contemporary obsession with werewolves. Around the same time, the industry gave us the lycanthrope horror films An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, and Wolfen. Teen Wolf was a lighter take on the lycan mythos that was serviceable to fans of Marty McFly.
How ‘Teen Wolf’ performed compared to ‘Back to the Future’
Box Office Mojo reports Back to the Future earned more than $384 million worldwide. It became one of the most beloved popcorn movies ever. Teen Wolf wasn’t quite as iconic. According to Box Office Mojo, Teen Wolf made only around $33 million.
Teen Wolf was still prominent enough to inspire a sequel, Teen Wolf Too, as well as the MTV series Teen Wolf and its spin-off, Teen Wolf: The Movie. The MTV show seems to have a more dedicated fan base than the original movie. While Teen Wolf wasn’t critically acclaimed, Fox can at least take solace in the fact that the film is still having an impact on pop culture.
Michael J. Fox said actors were ‘tougher’ back then
During a 2024 interview with People, Fox discussed what it was like being famous in the 1980s. “There’s an expression I referred to when they gave me an Honorary Academy Award — somebody said to me the day before, they were talking about getting this award and being famous and they said ‘You’re ’80s famous,'” Fox said. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s cool. ’80s famous.’ Right, we were different.”
He contrasted himself and his peers with the celebrities of today. “We were tougher,” he opined. “We didn’t have social media, we didn’t have any of that crap. We were just famous. Left to our own resources. And it was an amazing time.”
The Teen Wolf star seemed to imply that actors in the 1980s were less frivolous than modern actors. “We used to bust our a**, our acting muscles and watch other actors and sit around with other actors and talk about acting and talk about it,” he recalled. “And now you’ve got people who just go like, ‘Who’s your sweater? What’s your sweater you’re wearing? And what’s that dance step?’ And you’re the most famous person in the world.”
Whether or not you love Teen Wolf, we can all agree that the one-two punch of Teen Wolf and Back to the Future helped Fox rule the mid-1980s.
