‘Spaceballs’: Will Mel Brooks Make a Sequel to His ‘Star Wars’ Spoof?
Spaceballs has a special place in the hearts of many Star Wars fans and comedy fans. Why wouldn’t it? It’s the rare feature-length parody of Star Wars.
There have been several Star Wars films since the release of Spaceballs in 1987. Presumably, this would give Mel Brooks and company lots of material to work with if they ever made a sequel. This raises an interesting question: Would Brooks be open to making a sequel to Spaceballs?
‘Spaceballs II: The Search for More Money’
Some movies include what is called “sequel bait” — a hanging thread of some sort designed to pave the way for a sequel. Spaceballs is different. It features a gag where Brooks’ character, Yogurt, promises a sequel called Spaceballs II; The Search for More Money. The fake title is likely a reference to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
So was there any actual possibility of Spaceballs getting a sequel? Rick Moranis, who played Dark Helmet in the film, says there was talk of a sequel. Interestingly, Moranis didn’t want to use the title Spaceballs II: The Search for More Money.
Could we get a sequel spoofing the newer ‘Star Wars’ films?
According to Comic Book Resources, Moranis said “Mel wanted to do a sequel after it became a cult video hit. It wasn’t a box office hit. It was a cult video hit, and MGM wanted to do a sequel. And my idea for it was Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II.”
In 2017, Brooks said a sequel was still a possibility. Cinema Blend reports he said “MGM is slightly interested in doing it because of the Star Wars, you know, Rogue One, The Force Awakens and the Star Wars explosion. So we’re talking, who knows?” It’s been over two years since Brooks made those comments and the prospective sequel has not materialized.
How a ‘Spaceballs’ sequel would be different from the original
Even if a sequel is made, it would inevitably miss some of the qualities of the original film. For example, AllMovie reports John Candy passed away in 1994. Someone else would have to play Barf, the role he originated. AllMovie also reports Joan Rivers passed away in 2014, so the role of Dot Matrix would have to go to someone else.
Of course there would be actors out there who would be willing to play the parts of Barf and Dot Matrix. However, many comedy fans feel Candy and Rivers are indispensable talents and would find it distasteful for someone to recast the roles. On the other hand, it’s always possible the characters could be retired from the Spaceballs franchise.
The closest the world got to a Spaceballs sequel was Spaceballs: The Animated Series. It ran for a single season. Many critics felt the series wasn’t nearly as funny as its predecessor. In addition, the series received criticism for the quality of its animation.
Maybe we’ll get a Spaceballs sequel that reflects new Star Wars films. Maybe we won’t. At least Star Wars fans can always cherish the original.
