At what point did Josh Gad become a leading source of pop culture news?
Somehow, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the voice of Olaf has become a one-man pop culture convention, pulling together cinematic reunion panels that we can all enjoy at home while Gad moderates the action from the confines of his hidden base thanks to the power of Zoom. Following the recent Goonies reunion, the former Le Fou played host to some of Hill Valley’s most famous residents in episode two of Reunited Apart with Josh Gad. This year marks the 35th anniversary of Back to the Future (BTTF), so the timing is perfect. Honestly, the lineup is probably better than what you’d get at any fan event: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Elisabeth Shue, Mary Steenburgen, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Alan Silvestri, Huey Lewis, and J.J. Abrams. While Gad’s gathering is a must-watch event, that’s not even the only piece of BTTF news to hit this week, and it’s only Monday!

NECA Debuts Its Back to the Future Collection
At Toy Fair New York, NECA offered the industry an early preview of its new BTTF collection. At launch, the line goes in two distinct directions: cinematic and animated.
Fans of NECA’s super-articulated, finely detailed action figures will be excited to see the new 7-inch BTTF Ultimates collection featuring Marty McFly and Biff Tannen, along with a BTTF II version of Marty. The collection also includes a 6-inch die-cast DeLorean Time Machine, and 6-inch scale Toony Classics collection of action figures based on how the BTTF gang appeared in the 1991-1992 animated series.
The NECA BTTF collection is expected to hit retail beginning in August.
A Decades-Long Debate is Solved
For years, some fans have shared a burning question: How is it possible that George and Lorraine McFly don’t recognize their own son, Marty, as “Calvin Klein,” the kid who introduced them in 1955? BTTF co-creator, co-writer, and co-producer Bob Gale recently delivered the definitive answer, and the official BTTF twitter account shared the final word:
In this episode, we have a quick look at Bob Gale's recent explanation as to why George & Lorraine do not recognize Marty as the teenager who introduced them in 1955. #BobGale #BacktotheFuture35 pic.twitter.com/fxPdMVeckH
— Back to the Future™ (@BacktotheFuture) May 11, 2020
Finally, the long-awaited Back to the Future Playmobil sets are hitting stores this month. Have you picked up a set yet?