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Funny or Die confesses to making the fake hoverboard that enthralled the internet

Funny or Die confesses to making the fake hoverboard that enthralled the internet

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That hoverboard from yesterday that looked straight out of Back to the Future, and also too good to be true, is not the real deal. Funny or Die, the makers of numerous internet shenanigans, just posted a video with actor Christopher Lloyd apologizing for the HUVr, though Lloyd did not go so far as to explain what the project was really about.

All for an autographed prop giveaway

Peering into the camera, a despondent Lloyd says he was "blinded by all belief" that the production — which featured professional skater Tony Hawk, musician Moby, and others floating on a hoverboard — was a spoof. The new clip shows behind-the-scenes footage of the production where you can clearly see the wires and rigs used to haul the actors off the ground. As a consolation prize, Funny or Die is giving away a replica of the HUVr board signed by Lloyd and the rest of the crew to one random Facebook commenter.

Signs that the production was faked cropped up almost immediately after the video was released, though it was surrounded by an air of mystery thanks to an excessively cryptic website and a Facebook page that denied claims it was a ruse. Nonetheless, actors in the project mentioned it on their resumes — including the "MIT researcher" who turned out to be actor Nelson Cheng — and special effects errors were spotted in the video almost immediately. Funny or Die remained mum on the production until today, saying only that "sadly, we were lying," adding that "the great promise of Back to the Future II has not been fulfilled ... yet. And for that, we truly are sorry."