Is ‘Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money’ A Go? What Mel Brooks Really Said About Making A Sequel

Fans of Mel Brooks’ comedic genius were recently teased with the prospects of a sequel to the 1987 Star Wars spoof, Spaceballs. According to E! Online, not only is the director throwing around the idea of a Spaceballs sequel, but he even has title for the project. However, is there any truth to the reports that a new Spaceballs film is on the way?

Rumors of a potential Spaceballs movie were re-ignited last week during Brooks’ appearance on Take a Knee. In speaking with Adam Carolla, Brooks admitted on the podcast that a Spaceballs sequel would certainly be a success in the box office.

“And I’m thinking now, if I said, if I did a movie that came out right after Star Wars comes out, you know, maybe a couple of months later, Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money… I’d have a big weekend, you know, no matter what, even if it fell on its a** and you know, didn’t get that money back.”

As fans may recall, the name for the sequel is a direct reference to the original movie, which made a reference to the title Brooks’ mentioned in the podcast. At the same time, Brooks’ comments also refer to the new film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is currently out in theaters.

That being said, Cinema Blend is reporting that fans should not expect a Spaceballs sequel to be hitting theaters anytime soon. Instead, Brooks’ recent comments were only made to highlight the fact that now would be a great time to release a sequel to the cult comedy, and should not be taken as any sort of promise that a sequel will be made.

Furthermore, there are a few challenges Brooks would need to overcome in order to make Spaceballs 2 happen. For starters, two of the main cast members have since passed away, including Joan Rivers, who played Dot Matrix, and John Candy, who appeared as Barfolomew.

However, according to Vanity Fair, these obstacles in casting would not prevent a film from being made. After all, the only cast member that Brooks has declared would need to be involved in the project is Rick Moranis.

“Without Rick, I wouldn’t do it,” Brooks explained in an interview with Parade. “I’ve got the helmet in storage, just waiting for him. It’ll fit nobody else. Rick is five-five-and-a-half. It’s a perfect fit for the big helmet. He was such a genius.”

With that in mind, how likely is it that Moranis would reprise his role in a potential sequel? Moranis has been retired from the acting world for quite some time now, making the possibility of him returning the big screen fairly slim.

“I’ve asked him plenty of times and he’s been really strict about it,” Brooks added.

Furthermore, this is not the first time a sequel to Spaceballs has been rumored to be in development.

“Mel wanted to do a sequel after it became a cult video hit,” Moranis shared. “It wasn’t a box office hit. It was a cult video hit, and MGM wanted to do a sequel. And my idea for it was Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II. And I was unable to make a deal with Mel. I couldn’t make a deal.”

While Spaceballs 2 is certainly an exciting prospect to think about, it does not appear as though Brooks has finalized anything. However, with additional Star Wars movies all but certain following the success of The Force Awakens, there should be plenty of time for Brooks to develop a sequel.

Tell us! If Mel Brooks makes Spaceballs 2, would you go see it? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image via MGM]