How Josh Gads Convinced Mel Brooks to Do a Spaceballs Sequel

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It appears that Mel Brooks, the renowned creator behind the 1987 parody movie “Spaceballs” based on the popular “Star Wars” series, hasn’t watched any of the subsequent films for the past 38 years. Now, he and producer/actor Josh Gad are working together to create a sequel to “Spaceballs”.

The movie “Spaceballs,” released in 1987 by MGM, is a humorous space-themed comedy with a satirical twist. The storyline centers around the villainous Dark Helmet (portrayed by Rick Moranis) and President Skroob (played by Brooks), who aim to pilfer the atmosphere from the serene planet Druidia. However, their nefarious plan is foiled by the heroic Lone Starr (Bill Pullman), his companion Barf (John Candy), and the Druish princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga).

In a recent podcast chat, Gad shared that when proposing the idea for a Space Balls sequel, he had to delve deeply into the events of the Star Wars saga since Return of the Jedi, as he confessed, “When we were presenting our initial concept for the film, he [the person being pitched] said, ‘I’m telling you upfront, you need to provide extensive details because I’m not well-versed in the latest Star Wars movies.’ To which I replied, ‘Alright.’

In a presentation that lasted approximately 40 minutes, Gad drew upon his extensive understanding of the universe crafted by George Lucas. “It felt like I was about to go into battle, standing alone. I was pouring myself into every line, every nuance, every comedic sequence, every surprise. I was painting it all and speaking to how this connected to a specific ‘Star Wars’ moment.” At the end, Brooks commented, “‘it really sounds like you understand what’s going on,'” which Gad considered as “the best compliment I could ever receive, even though Mel might not fully grasp it. He simply trusted everything I had to say.

Back in 2013, Rick Moranis mentioned that after the initial film’s debut, he and Mel Brooks had a conversation about a potential sequel, dubbed Spaceballs III: The Quest for Spaceballs II. However, they couldn’t come to terms on an agreement. In February 2015, Mel Brooks expressed his eagerness to create another movie. With the launch of Star Wars: The Force Awakens towards the end of that year, Brooks thought it was the ideal moment for a fresh Spaceballs installment; although he faced challenges such as convincing retired actor Rick Moranis to reprise his villainous role as Dark Helmet (Brooks insisted on having him back) and negotiating a deal with Disney to satirize Star Wars once more, just like when he made the first film, where he obtained George Lucas’s approval.

The movie production is completed, with Josh Greenbaum set to be the director from a screenplay penned by Benji Samit, Dan Hernandez, and Josh Gad. Notably, Gad himself will take on the lead role in this film, while Kevin Salter assumes the position of executive producer. It’s advised that Mr. Brooks promptly deposits the check from MGM.

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2025-01-11 18:53