At least once a decade, someone asks Mel Brooks whether plans for a second Spaceballs movie will ever come to fruition. Thirty-seven years after the original film premiered, he can finally answer, “yes!”
Actor Josh Gad, who is perhaps best known for voicing Olaf the snowman in Frozen, announced on Instagram that he and co-writers Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez recently turned a first draft of the Spaceballs 2 script in to Amazon MGM Studios. Gad stated that working alongside the legendary Mel Brooks, who will co-produce the sequel but will not write or direct, has been a “dream come true,” noting that he and his fellow writers and producers “worship at the alter of all things Brooks” and “are doing everything in our power alongside Mel to make sure you get what you’ve waited 37 long years for.”
Sounds promising, right? Gad is certainly a funny person who clearly respects Brooks and the source material, so it’s probably safe to start getting excited!
What we know about Spaceballs 2 so far
In addition to co-writing the script and serving as an executive producer, Gad will star in the sequel. We’re unsure which role he’ll step into, but if we had to guess, the role of Barf seems like a perfect fit. Sadly, John Candy, who originated the role, passed away in 1994. Joan Rivers, who played Dot Matrix, is also no longer with us.
Screenwriter, director, and producer Josh Greenbaum, who previously directed the comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, has been hired to direct. Since the script is still being reviewed at Amazon MGM Studios, a complete production schedule could still be months away, but any forward momentum is a good thing. Let’s hope they move forward at ludicrous speed!
A sequel 37 years in the making
The original Spaceballs premiered on June 24, 1987, just four years after George Lucas completed the original Star Wars trilogy. The comedy spoofed the Star Wars films heavily, but it also poked some fun at other sci-fi franchises like Star Trek and Alien. It was a commercial and critical success, although it only achieved its current cult status when the film moved to home video format.
Rumors about Spaceballs 2, lovingly called “The Search For More Money” in the first film, have been circulating online since 2013. Rick Moranis claims to have pitched a sequel called Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II to Brooks, but the two were unable to come to an agreement. In 2015, Brooks hoped to capitalize on the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens by inking a deal for a sequel, but the franchise had been purchased by Disney by then, so he decided not to bother. Moranis was also retired by then, and Brooks said he couldn’t possibly do the movie without his Dark Helmet.
Brooks reiterated his desire to make Spaceballs 2 once more at a fan event in 2017, hoping once again to parody the new Star Wars movies. Still, nothing moved past the talking phase … until now!
Release date … TBD
We’ll be very fortunate if we see Spaceballs 2 anytime in the next couple of years. We’ll keep you posted when more details become available.
