<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $40 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $244.5 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Back to the Future Part III is a 1990 American science fiction Western comedy film and the third and final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy . The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, and stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson . The film continues immediately following Back to the Future Part II (1989); while stranded in 1955 during his time travel adventures, Marty McFly (Fox) discovers that his friend Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown, trapped in 1885, was killed by Biff Tannen's great - grandfather Buford . Marty travels to 1885 to rescue Doc . </P> <P> Back to the Future Part III was filmed in California and Arizona, and was produced on a $40 million budget back - to - back with Part II . Part III was released in the United States on May 25, 1990, six months after the previous installment . Part III earned $244.5 million worldwide, making it the sixth - highest - grossing film of 1990 . </P>

When does back to the future 3 take place