Recently, while loping around my local shopping center – you know those places we used to go before someone coughed a few times somewhere and now avoid at every chance – I stumbled across a rare find. It was a Blu-ray copy of the Mel Brooks 1987 comedy film Spaceballs to celebrate its 35th anniversary.
Needless to say, I bought it without a second thought and watched it that very night. Why I hear you ask? Well, because it’s Mel Brooks, you dummy. It’s irreverent to a fault, its humour stands the test of time (for the most part), and it’s endlessly creative in its satirisation of everything from Star Trek teleporters to luggage lock combinations.
It also smashes the fourth wall every chance it gets. From having their stunt doubles captured to watching the movie while they’re making the movie to showing where the real money from movies is made (Merchandising), the movie takes a piss at every available opportunity.
One line in this movie really got me thinking. It’s right when Not Han Solo is about to leave Not Tatooine when he asks Not Yoda if they’ll ever meet again.
His response? “Who knows? God Willing, we’ll all meet again in Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money.”
Immediately, I began scouring the internet for any mention of this sequel. It turns out the sequel has had a long-troubled road of being kicked around as brainstorming ideas and nothing more, really.
The reasons why are pretty clear. For one, John Candy, Joan Rivers, and Dom Deluise have all stepped off this mortal coil, which knocks Barf, Dot Matrix, and Pizza the Hut out of contention unless they use stunt doubles.
Another issue is that Rick Moranis is out of the public spotlight and hasn’t acted since the 90s, aside from some small voiceover and indie work here and there. He also hasn’t shown much interest in returning for another Spaceballs film.
So, we’ve got the following: interest from the creator and… that’s about it. There is no cast signing on, no script in the works, and just the vague hope of someday.
To be honest, they could make a new Spaceballs sequel with a new fresh-faced unknown cast and take the piss out of franchises like the MCU and Star Wars Sequel Trilogy because they could stand to take themselves a little less seriously. Like Cthulhu, Mel Brooks will return one day to deliver us into a new promised land of satire and humour unseen since the time of the great and glorious Monty Python.
Until then, I guess we’ve just got to wait and see what comes up and enjoy Mel Brooks’ existing works. I, for one, can’t wait until then becomes now.
To those other Spaceballs fans also disappointed about the glaring lack of a sequel, please know that I tried.
I continue to see articles like this one, which talks about Mel Brooks talking about Spaceballs 2, yet nothing has happened yet.
So, I wrote a script (it’s funny, I’m too much of a fan for it to be awful), thinking that might be the cause of the hold up.
Of course, I wrote the Dark Helmet character as hilarious as I possibly could, so that Mr. Moranis might find it worthwhile.
I sent a query letter, not a script, addressed to Mel Brooks at Brooksfilms, asking permission to send my material.
Below is the very impersonal letter that I received in reply.
I did use my name when signing the letter, but I guess it wasn’t cool enough for the letter writer to include in the response.
Also, the letter below seems to scream that “Shelby” didn’t pass the query letter along to Mel Brooks, despite it being addressed to him.
Regardless of whether or not it is Brooksfilms policy to accepted unsolicited material, I find the reply odd.
Given the considerable passage of time, and the supposed consistent talk of a Spaceballs sequel, I am amused that “Shelby” didn’t seem to at least run the query letter by Mr. Brooks, to let HIM pass on reading it.
I guess they’re not too concerned about a sequel after all.
December 20, 2022
Dear Sir or Madam:
Thank you for your letter to Mr. Mel Brooks regarding your project. Brooksfilms is not accepting any new or outside material of any kind for development.
Enclosed you will find your material returned, not having been viewed by anyone at
Brooksfilms, as review of unsolicited material would violate our company policy.
Sincerely,
Shelby Van Vliet Brooksfilms Limited
Very interesting stuff! Thanks for sharing this. I don’t think Spaceballs 2 will happen while Mel Brooks is still alive or until there is a new wave of that type of film making is profitable again. Fingers crossed though!