If you’ve been tracking the warp-speed march toward the upcoming Spaceballs 2, you'll know a few key details about the sequel. For one, it's actually happening with Mel Brooks back as Yogurt, and Josh Gad co-writing and starring for Amazon MGM, which has staked out a 2027 theatrical release. That alone is enough to send a can of Perri-Air flying but, to make things even more interesting, a Star Wars alum just pitched themselves for the long-gestating comedy sequel, and man, I really hope they manifest this!
The moment came from comments made by none other than Finn star John Boyega while he attended Dragon Con (via Popverse). The veteran of the Star Wars franchise (streamable with a Disney+ subscription) used a fan panel to openly audition for the gig, turning a Q&A into a charming “call me” to the filmmakers. Boyega told the crowd:
[My phone] hasn’t rung yet, so I have to come here and just say it. So, they could pick up the phone and give me a call. Let me make Spaceballs legit.
If you’re putting together a fresh take on Spaceballs, casting a real Star Wars actor is not only hilarious but also makes total sense for the parody. John Boyega has proven he can switch between being a serious hero and a comedic force (no pun intended), which is precisely what made the original movie one of the greatest parody movies.
The meta jokes would be absolutely hilarious—just imagine Finn battling it out with lightsabers (or, you know, Schwartzes) against Dark Helmet. It’s such a fun idea. Plus, since John Boyega has been pretty vocal about his issues with his character’s story and the Star Wars fandom after racial backlash, the writers could really give him a better character arc, or at least throw in some clever references to the Disney trilogy.
We’ll have to see whether Gad or another Spaceballs 2 producer picks up the phone for Boyega, but we do know some legacy players are circling back. Reports indicate that Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis are in the mix, and Gad recently teased that if Moranis returns after a decades-long retirement, it’ll be because the movie is “worthy” of him. The bar is high, by design.
The casting energy around Spaceballs 2 already blends nostalgia and new blood—think Lewis Pullman (Lone Starr actor Bill Pullman’s real-life son), Keke Palmer, and Gad himself. So adding a marquee Star Wars veteran would sharpen the satire and broaden the audience in one move. Needless to say, the Schwartz works in mysterious (and very commercial) ways.
Will Amazon MGM pick up the phone? That’s above my pay grade. But, if Spaceballs 2 is aiming to be both a worthy sequel and a victory lap for the galaxy’s funniest spoof, bringing in John Boyega would be one giant step for parody-kind. Until casting is official, consider this the most entertaining open audition in the cosmos. May the Schwartz be with whoever’s manning the call sheet.
Spaceballs 2 is expected to have a theatrical release sometime in 2027, and it will more than likely will hit streaming for anyone with a Prime Video subscription sometime after that.
