Spaceballs 2’s2027 release window means that the film won’t be hitting theaters until 40 years after the originalSpaceballs, and while that has been a long time for fans of the parody film to wait, I am convinced that it is a good thing. Although legacy comedy sequels don’t have a great track record,Spaceballs 2seems incredibly exciting, with the existence of theStar Warssequel and prequel trilogies giving the film a lot of material to work with. However, this is just one of the many reasons that the four decade wait could improveSpaceballs.
The first teaser forSpaceballs 2has finally been released, and while it didn’t show any footage of the film, it does give a feel for the tone of the upcoming movie.The teaser is a parody of the iconicStar Warsopening text crawl, with theSpaceballs 2text listing all of theStar Warsprojects and other franchises that have released in the 40 year gap between the two parody films. Alongside this teaser,several members of theSpaceballs 2cast were announced. While some are returning characters from the original film, some exciting new additions will also appear.
Why Spaceballs 2 Has Taken So Long To Happen
There Wasn’t Originally Going To Be A Sequel
The main reason thatSpaceballs 2has taken so longis that there weren’t originally plans for a sequel. Although the original film made jokes about a sequel calledSpaceballs 2: The Search for More Money, no real news about aSpaceballssequel was released until decades after the original film’s premiere. In 2013, Rick Moranis revealed that he and Mel Brooks had been talking about a potential sequel. However, at the time of this reveal, it seemed as if the film wasn’t going to move forward, killing hope for aSpaceballs 2.
News ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens' release reignited hope for aSpaceballssequel, with Mel Brooks explaining that he wanted to do one in 2015 after theStar Warsrevival film was released. Brooks even pitched using the titleSpaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. However, things went silent after this comment. SignificantSpaceballs 2news didn’t emerge again until 2020, when Lone Starr actor Bill Pullman expressed interest in doing a sequel. However, he explained that it was completely up to Mel Brooks.
Luckily, some positive news was finally revealed a few years later. In June 2024, it was officially announced thatSpaceballs 2would be happening,with Josh Greenbaum directing and Josh Gad and Mel Brooks producing. Development finally started on the film, with 2025 seeing significant progress on the sequel. So far, it has been announced that the film is targeting a 2027 release, will have a theatrical run, and will bring back Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis, Daphne Zuniga, and Mel Brooks. The film will also add Lewis Pullman, Keke Palmer, and Josh Gad to the cast.
Spaceballs 2 Now Has Way More Material To Parody
The Sequels, The Prequels, The Spinoffs, & The Shows
One of the best parts about the long wait forSpaceballs 2is that the sequel now has so much more material to parody. When the originalSpaceballswas released, it only had the original trilogy to pull from when developing its story and gags. However,Spaceballs 2seems to be heavily focusing on the sequel trilogy. This means that it has a new pool of material to pull from, as there is all kinds of joke potential to be found inThe Force Awakens,The Last Jedi, andThe Rise of Skywalker. Plus,Spaceballs 2is far enough removed from the sequels that it can make fun of them without feeling too reactionary.
TheStar Warssequel trilogy isn’t the only new addition toSpaceballs 2’s parody material. There hasn’t been aSpaceballsfilm since the prequel trilogy was released, meaning that this will most likely be a big source of inspiration as well. While the prequels are a bit older and have already been the subject of lots of criticisms and jokes, Mel Brooks can undoubtedly find something new to do with them. That means that there are six movies forSpaceballs 2to make fun of, doubling the content that the originalSpaceballshad to work with.
However, that still isn’t all.Spaceballs 2can parodyRogue OneandSolo, giving it two more prequel movies to poke fun at. On top of that, there is amassive catalog of Disney+Star Warsshowsthat have been released since the originalSpaceballs. The popularity ofThe Mandalorianmeans that it will undoubtedly get some attention inSpaceballs 2. However, the film can also work with material fromAndor,Ashoka,Obi-Wan Kenobi, and more. Even earlier shows likeStar Wars: The Clone Warscould be examined through aSpaceballslens in the sequel.
Spaceballs 2 Taking So Long Has Allowed For Its Most Exciting Cast Addition
One Of The Biggest Stars Of The 2020s Is In The Sequel
On top of that,Spaceballs 2’s lengthy development time is what allowed its most exciting cast addition. Bill Pullman’s sonLewis Pullman has been added to theSpaceballs 2cast, coming off the success of movies likeTop Gun: MaverickandThunderbolts. It has been reported that Lewis Pullman will be playing the son of Bill Pullman’s Lone Starr, meaning that the father-son duo is playing a father-son duo.Many fans are crossing their fingers that Lewis Pullman’s character is also a Kylo Ren parody, riffing on the sequel trilogy’s main villain.
There’s One Big Difference With Spaceballs 2 Compared To The First Movie
It Can Be Far More Critical Of Star Wars
While there are a lot of returning elements inSpaceballs 2, the sequel has one major difference when compared to the original. WhenSpaceballswas released in 1987,the originalStar Warstrilogy was almost unanimously beloved. Thus,Spaceballswasn’t really criticizing the franchise, with it instead poking fun at the trilogy’s weirder elements.
However, the same can’t be said for the material thatSpaceballs 2is parodying. The sequel and prequel trilogies are incredibly divisive, and the same can be said with everyStar WarsDisney+ show outside ofAndor. Thus, some of the jokes in the upcoming sequel may be more critical than those found in the originalSpaceballs. However, it is doubtful thatSpaceballs 2will criticize the franchise too much, as Mel Brooks has always seemed more interested in using this as a vehicle to simply tell more zany jokes.
Spaceballs
Cast
Spaceballs is a 1987 comedic science fiction film directed by Mel Brooks. It follows Lone Starr and his sidekick as they confront the villainous Dark Helmet, who schemes to kidnap Princess Vespa and steal her planet’s air. They encounter Yogurt, who introduces them to the mystical power known as “The Schwartz.”
