Despite the scores of imitators over the decades, Mel Brooks is still the king of the parody movie. After mocking Westerns with Blazing Saddles, horror with Young Frankenstein, and Alfred Hitchcock with High Anxiety, the EGOT-winning writer/producer/director/actor finally turned his attention to sci-fi with 1987’s Spaceballs. It spoofed Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, and more with a fun cast including a young Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, and comedy stars John Candy, Rick Moranis, Joan Rivers, and more.
While not a huge box-office hit at the time, the film has developed a massive cult following in the decades since, and is now considered among Brooks’ best. He’s long teased a sequel as the movie has the mystical Yogurt (Brooks in one of three roles) even saying, “maybe we’ll all meet in the sequel: Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money.”
After 40 years, that’s finally happening with a full sequel announced. Brooks (who will hit 100 years old in June) won’t direct, instead handing it off to Josh Greenbaum with a script by Josh Gad, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Brooks will appear as Yogurt and the evil President Skroob.
However, those who expected the long-established title of “The Search for More Money” were in for a surprise as, in an announcement video for the movie’s release date of April 23, 2027, Brooks popped up to reveal the new title.
It began with Brooks explaining that there was no need to “search for more money,” as he had found it, pointing to a massive wad of cash inside a burlap bag with the logo “Spaceballs: The Money,” tying to the original film’s joke about merchandising.
Brooks then revealed the new title: “Spaceballs: The New One. It’s just like the old one, but it’s newer!”
The movie will bring back Pullman as hero Lone Star, Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa, George Wyner as Colonel Sandurz and Rick Moranis making his first movie in almost three decades as the villain Dark Helmet. Joining them in the new cast are Gad, Keke Palmer, Anthony Carrigan, and Pullman’s son, Lewis Pullman.
Plot details are under wraps, but reports from CinemaCon (via Variety) indicate the movie will skewer more recent sci-fi fare such as Avatar, Dune and more. If anything, the last few decades have provided the filmmakers with far more material to mock.
It’s likely the film plays on the “legacy sequel” trend that’s become commonplace (odds are good Lewis Pullman is playing Lone Star’s son) while still letting Brooks’ wild humor fly. We need to wait to learn more, but after 40 years, the best space spoof ever is finally flying again.
Spaceballs: The New One premieres April 23, 2027.
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