20 Things You Somehow Missed In Back To The Future
5. Why Does Hill Valley Look So Familiar?
Originally, the film was going to be shot in the city of Petaluma, California. Realising that it would be too chaotic and expensive if the film suffered any difficulties (which it totally did), the producers decided to shoot Back to the Future in the backlot of Universal Studios.
The town where the story takes place, Hill Valley, is actually called Courthouse Square. The region earned its name since the most identifiable feature in the area is the courthouse, which was used as the clocktower for the film's conclusion. (The clock-face is not actually a part of the building and was attached to the front while filming scenes.)
You probably recognise this structure since it has appeared in countless television shows and films including Bruce Almighty, The Incredible Hulk, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gremlins, To Kill A Mockingbird, the music video, Why Don't You Get A Job?, and the very first episode of the classic show, The Twilight Zone. But despite appearing in over a dozen classics in the past half century, the courthouse is most synonymous with Back to the Future.