Just as Star Wars has been around for almost half a century, so have Star Wars parodies. Whether they be “Pigs in Space,” Family Guy, or Robot Chicken, the space opera is especially ripe for satire. But only one parody has become so beloved it’s practically a sci-fi franchise in its own right: Spaceballs, Mel Brooks’ 1987 sendup of the original trilogy.
At this point, Star Wars has rebooted itself with a new trilogy twice over before Spaceballs even got a sequel, but that’s about to change. Brooks, a few months shy of his 100th birthday, has released a video teaser for the next Spaceballs movie, releasing next year, and announced its brand new title.
But does this new title break the promise of the original film? Yes and no. Here’s what Mel Brooks has to say about it:
The teaser makes it clear that Spaceballs: The New One isn’t the title fans were expecting. Famously, the original Spaceballs movie ends with Brooks’ Yogurt promising to return in a sequel entitled The Search For More Money. According to Brooks, he’s got a good reason. “Because after all these years, I found the money. There it is. The money. It was in my basement,” he says, referencing the prop duffel bag full of cash next to him.
While the title The New One may not be the payoff to a joke 40 years in the making, it’s certainly not inaccurate. This is, after all, the new one. But it’s still a bit disappointing that this sequel from a comedy legend is using the same naming convention as Sharknado 2: The Second One.
But that’s not the only tease of this new movie. At CinemaCon, attendees were treated to an exclusive look at the movie, and while the teaser wasn’t posted online, there are plenty of footage to descriptions. According to Gizmodo, the teaser opened just like the first look at The Force Awakens, with characters roaming sandy dunes, where they find Dark Helmet’s (Rick Moranis) namesake helmet in the sand.
Dark Helmet presses a “reboot” button, and what follows sounds like classic Spaceballs comedy. George Wyner returns as Dark Helmet’s right-hand man, Colonel Sandurz. “Look at us, sir. Back in the cosmic saddle after all these years,” Sandurz says. “Nothing can stop us now,” which of course prompts a bathroom break.
“As they pee, a blue Na’vi from Avatar walks behind them and stands at a very, very large urinal,” the report says. That’s exactly what you should prepare yourself for. Apparently, just in this teaser, there were multiple Harry Potter characters visible. But to be fair, by the time Spaceballs: The New One hits theaters, it will have 40 years of pop culture to skewer — it’s going to get as rapid fire as a blaster.
Spaceballs: The New One doesn’t just bring back the original stars, including Brooks, Moranis, Wyner, and Bill Pullman. New characters will also be introduced, played by Bill Pullman’s son (and Hollywood It Boy) Lewis Pullman, Keke Palmer, and Josh Gad. If Dark Helmet is truly going to push the reboot button, perhaps this is the start of Spaceballs: The Next Generation.
