# A very surprising announcement from Mel Brooks -- Spaceballs sequel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [June 12, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532 "2025-06-12T17:21:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/21 "2025-06-13T05:47:22Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I might be in the minority here but I found Spaceballs to be painfully unfunny. Nope. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t loath this movie. And all Mel Brooks fans. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/22 "2025-06-13T15:03:37Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > > [@Cervaise](#): > > > > Evidently Pullman will be back, and they’ve convinced Moranis to take a break from retirement. > > > [@Cervaise](#): > > > > I retract my initial comments about casting. I got excited based on an uncited rumor. > > Deadline has your back. > > ['Spaceballs 2' Casts Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman & Keke Palmer - The Dish](https://deadline.com/2025/06/spaceballs-2-casts-rick-moranis-bill-pullman-keke-palmer-1236431204/) I’d be more impressed if they got John Candy and Joan Rivers. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/23 "2025-06-13T19:50:23Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I might be in the minority here but I found Spaceballs to be painfully unfunny. Saw it when it came out when I was 17 when Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles were what I considered comedy classics at the time. I thought it was awful. Personal mileages will always vary but I agree with you 100%. BS was terrific (and groundbreaking; I was 24 when it came out), YF was and remains a masterpiece, but Spaceballs being “painfully unfunny” says it all for me. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/24 "2025-06-13T20:04:05Z")
The problem with _Spaceballs_ is that setups for the gags are interminably long for a lame payoff. The first gag is setup by a long non-comedy expo-dump crawl followed by a joke: “if you can read this you don’t need glasses”. That’s the first two minutes. After that we have a tortuously long pan over a spaceship with the payoff being a bumper sticker that reads, “We Brake For Nobody”. Five minutes into the film and only two really lame jokes to show for it. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/25 "2025-06-13T23:14:01Z")
I hope we get another performance from Michigan J Alien. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/26 "2025-06-14T06:13:19Z")
Where’s Daphne Zuniga? she’s still around. Also, I feel Spaceballs is where Brooks started losing his touch. The movie was ok. Maybe they can do something interesting with the sequel. They do have several years of movies and shows to work with, just don’t focus on the Star Wars Universe. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/27 "2025-06-14T06:43:43Z")
> [@Cumberdale](#): > > Also, I feel Spaceballs is where Brooks started losing his touch. I’ve been doing some additional reading, going into back issues of the trades, and I think it’s important for everyone to realize that _this is not a Mel Brooks film._ Sure, it’s a _sequel_ to his movie. And they’re putting him front and center in that announcement video, because, well, obviously. But he’s not the director, and he’s not the writer. For anyone who knows anything about movies, most of the superficial stuff that gets emphasized in the marketing, like the cast, is basically irrelevant to whether or not the movie’s any good. What matters is who’s actually responsible for making it, and that’s the director, the producers, the editor(s), and the writer(s), basically in that order. Occasionally you get an actor like Tom Cruise who takes a very active hand in development but that’s not at all the norm. Go back to articles from a year or so ago (**[example](https://variety.com/2024/film/news/spaceballs-2-josh-gad-mel-brooks-amazon-mgm-1236041375/)**) to trace the history of this project, and we can start to see how this actually began. Josh Gad and two collaborators came up with the idea, and probably wrote a treatment. They then went to Brooks and pitched him to get his approval, and hopefully get him on board. Brooks liked the pitch and agreed to add his name as producer (which basically means using his name and industry connections to streamline the process of getting to a greenlight, including reaching out to Moranis). They got Josh Greenbaum to sign on as director. And now, they’ve got a movie. But it’s not Brooks’s movie. It’s these other people’s movie. Look, this could be good or bad. Some younger fans who grew up with Brooks’s work and want to honor him — maybe it turns out well, maybe they’ve got the goods… or maybe they just make a pastiche and it falls flat. Greenbaum previously directed _Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar,_ which is kind of a mixed bag but definitely has its moments; but he’s never made anything effects-driven. Josh Gad, as a writer, is an unknown. Either way, it’s not a Mel Brooks movie, and we shouldn’t set our expectations, positively or negatively, on the basis of that assumption. It’s a different thing. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/28 "2025-06-14T07:12:23Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > I’ve been doing some additional reading, going into back issues of the trades, and I think it’s important for everyone to realize that _this is not a Mel Brooks film._ Belated postscript: I include myself in this, and I regret my choice of thread title. I didn’t know the details when I started the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/29 "2025-06-14T17:52:25Z")
He must have gotten Lucas’ / Disney’s permission to use the crawl text, unless that only pertains to films. The other “rule” Lucas had for the first was “no action figures” though we see Dark Helmet has a nice set of them. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/30 "2026-04-16T18:51:31Z")
A video has been posted with Mel Brooks announcing a new Spaceballs movie, supposedly titled “Spaceballs: The New One” (he explicitly says that it WON’T be called “Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money”). There’s not much info in the video itself, and no footage from the movie, but the text accompanying the video says that it will be released in theaters on April 23, 2027. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/efpL1E_fI3E/maxresdefault.jpg "Spaceballs: The New One") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efpL1E_fI3E) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/31 "2026-04-16T18:58:21Z")
Previous thread on the subject: > [@A very surprising announcement from Mel Brooks -- Spaceballs sequel](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks/1019532): > > Short video, very amusing: [[Spaceballs 2 | Announcement] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsK-KPi_w3w) Yes, it’s Spaceballs 2. Evidently Pullman will be back, and they’ve convinced Moranis to take a break from retirement. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/32 "2026-04-16T19:04:55Z")
Gah! I searched for other threads with “Spaceballs” in the title but naturally didn’t find that one since it doesn’t have “Spaceballs” in the title. Mods may feel free to merge this thread into that one if deemed appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/33 "2026-04-17T12:19:56Z")
Three posts from a new thread moved here. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/34 "2026-04-17T16:39:45Z")
I liked Spaceballs when I first saw it when I was younger but I watched a bit of it recently and it didn’t seem so great. So I am probably not going to watch this unless it has exceptional reviews but respect to Mel Brooks for keeping it going past the age of 100 when this film is made and released. Is this the most significant starring role by someone past the age of 100? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/35 "2026-04-17T19:12:33Z")
> [@Lantern2](#): > > didn’t seem so great One would have to get all the references, which should not be much of a problem for this audience, but might be for a kid watching _Spaceballs_ today? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/36 "2026-04-17T19:39:35Z")
> [@Lantern2](#): > > I liked Spaceballs when I first saw it when I was younger but I watched a bit of it recently and it didn’t seem so great. So I am probably not going to watch this unless it has exceptional reviews but respect to Mel Brooks for keeping it going past the age of 100 when this film is made and released. Is this the most significant starring role by someone past the age of 100? I feel this way about a lot of Mel Brooks movies. They’re very often more fun to talk about than they are to rewatch. I did enjoy Spaceballs, but I think Robin Hood Men in Tights was the first Brooks movie I didn’t think was very good. Dracula Dead and Loving it was abyssmal. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/37 "2026-04-17T19:40:31Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > > [@Lantern2](#): > > > > didn’t seem so great > > One would have to get all the references, which should not be much of a problem for this audience, but might be for a kid watching _Spaceballs_ today? Actually I think I understood the references better when I watched it recently. I just found the humor a bit childish but that was fine when I was an actual child… ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/38 "2026-04-17T20:13:06Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I feel this way about a lot of Mel Brooks movies. They’re very often more fun to talk about than they are to rewatch. I did enjoy Spaceballs, but I think Robin Hood Men in Tights was the first Brooks movie I didn’t think was very good. I liked _Spaceballs_ when it came out (of course I was a kid at the time), but I don’t think it holds up all that well. It’s hard to watch again. _Robin Hood: Men in Tights_ is a special film to me. Not in a good way. It is literally the only time I have ever gone into a movie theater to see a film and been thoroughly disappointed. I’ve seen worse movies, I’ve ever seen worse movies in the theater, but at no other time have I ever gone into a movie with high hopes and wished I’d not even bothered. The other times I’ve seen a bad film, it was because I was dragged along by someone else (for example, a date) and either had low expectations or didn’t know enough to know what to expect. But this was the only movie that lured me in and punished me. I had been a Mel Brooks fan, and a huge Cary Elwes fan (thanks to _The Princess Bride_) and the previews for the movie had some chuckle-worthy bits in them. I didn’t realize those bits in the previews were all the best parts of the film (and they weren’t even _that_ great; lines like “other Robin Hoods don’t have an English accent”). The movie even ended with a joke punchline being explained, because they were so worried the audience wouldn’t get the reference. If you have to explain a joke, what’s the point?! I will say that _Blazing Saddles_ is still one of my favorite films and holds up the best for me. I was never a huge fan of _Young Frankenstein_, but it had its moments and I think it’s still just as good as it was the first time I saw it. I actually liked _Dracula: Dead and Loving It_. I haven’t seen it in a while, but the first time I laughed quite a bit. The humor isn’t anything special, but I really liked Peter MacNicol as Renfield (he was the best part of the movie in my opinion) and it had some funny jokes I thought. The acting overall wasn’t great, and it wasn’t a strong parody of the particular film it was spoofing, but it was okay. I haven’t seen it in a long time, and I wouldn’t be shocked if it didn’t hold up. I’m cautiously optimistic about this film. We’ll see. The fact that it isn’t really a Mel Brooks film, just a sequel to one, that could be bad or good. I’m sure I’ll see it at some point. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532/39 "2026-10-21T18:04:07Z")
> **[Mel Brooks Asked to Expedite Filming of His ‘Spaceballs: The New One’ Scenes...](https://people.com/mel-brooks-asked-to-expedite-filming-of-his-spaceballs-scenes-12180730)** > > Mel Brooks filmed his ‘Spaceballs: The New One’ scenes early, according to his costar Daphne Zuniga, who shares details on working with the sequel’s returning cast, including Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis. Mel Brooks Asked to Expedite Filming of His _Spaceballs: The New One_ Scenes ‘Because I’m 100,’ Says Costar Daphne Zuniga It opens April 23rd of next year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-surprising-announcement-from-mel-brooks-spaceballs-sequel/1019532.md?page=1)