Seth MacFarlane loves his references. You could spend days if not months watching all of his television series and Ted counting the number of references he makes to other movies and shows. We expect that the tally will grow even bigger with the upcoming release of A Million Ways To Die In The West, and today we got word of a very special one that directly targets Back To The Future. And did I mention that it includes a fantastic cameo?
According to our own Josh Tyler, the moment can be spotted in a new green band trailer currently showing in front of Neighbors in theaters (whether or not it will be posted online remains a mystery). Coming right at the very end of the spot, the sequence begins with Seth MacFarlane's character, Albert, walking up to a stable that is glowing with a strange blue light. He opens the door to discover both Christopher Lloyd's Dr. Emmett Brown (in his full Back To The Future Part III cowboy gear) and the time-traveling DeLorean (Josh notes that it is actually the one from the first Back to the Future and not the third - Nerd!). Somewhat freaked out, Albert stammers and says something to the effect of "What's going on here?" To which Doc replies, "It's a weather experiment!" The moment reportedly got a huge response in his theater.
Just in case this is going over anybody's head, this is a reference to Back To The Future Part III where both Doc and Michael J. Fox's Marty (not present) travel back in time to the old west. The big, nerdy question that comes out of it, however, is whether or not this means that A Million Ways To Die in the West fits in the continuity of the Back to the Future franchise. We may have to wait until the scene comes online for further analysis, but I'm totally open to the idea that the events of Seth MacFarlane's new comedy occur around the events of Robert Zemeckis' old one.
While this sounds like a pretty great moment, I wouldn't count on it to be A Million Ways To Die In The West's only one. After all, Ted featured not only an amazing appearance by Sam Jones - a perfect moment built for the lead character's obsession with the camp classic Flash Gordon movie - but also some very funny moments with an almost mute Ryan Reynolds, playing Patrick Warburton's character's new boyfriend. So while you may now know about this cameo, hopefully there will be more that come as a surprise.
A Million Ways To Die In The West, which marks both MacFarlane's second directorial effort and first live-action lead role, follows the story of a cowardly sheep farmer who learns to become a man with the help of a stranger after being dumped by his girlfriend. The movie's excellent supporting cast includes Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, and Liam Neeson. Look for it in theaters at the end of this month on May 30th.
