The 1987 Star Wars parody, Spaceballs, released to mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. But in more recent years, the movie has been looked back on fondly by audiences and even gained somewhat of a cult following. But how did the man behind Star Wars, George Lucas himself, react to Spaceballs' blatant mockery of his franchise?
Spaceballs starred some of the biggest names in comedy, with Mel Brooks writing, directing and acting in the movie as President Skroob. The comedian made it clear that they were trying to resemble both Star Wars and Star Trek, with a pilot named Lone Starr and his trusty animal-like sidekick attempting to rescue a princess from the evil Dark Helmet. While the story made for a fun comedy, there were worries over the legal side of things. Not only did the crew hope for George Lucas' blessing, they all knew that Lucasfilm could easily sue the studio for resembling Star Wars too closely.
In 2012, Mel Brooks celebrated the 25th anniversary of Spaceballs release and looked back on the movie in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. The director described the ever-growing popularity of the film, saying, "I've made a dozen films - some of them really big hits - and all of them have been left in the dust by Spaceballs. It never stops selling."
Brooks was then asked about George Lucas' reaction to the satirical take on Star Wars, to which he understandably replied, "I was afraid to get sued by Lucas." But Brooks didn't want to hide the project, as he knew it'd look more suspicious. So, he sent Lucas the script, who simply said, "It's fine." However, there was one caveat as he told Brooks, "You can't do merchandising. You can't actually have, you know, a Dark Helmet action figure, because they'll look too much like ours."
With all things considered, it was a fair trade-off for allowing the movie to exist. And given just how popular Star Wars toys were at the time, it's unsurprising that it was Lucas' first thought. But as the movie moved into production, Lucas gave more than just his blessing; he handed Spaceballs over to his effects company, Industrial Light and Magic, to provide the space effects and postproduction.
Of course, the next hurdle was to prove the finished product was worth supporting. During another 2012 interview with AV Club, Brooks revealed that Lucas was one of the first people to see the movie, describing the idea as "playing ball with the people who could have said no." This, undoubtedly, was one of the most nerve-wracking moments in Spaceballs' production.
Luckily, the viewing went off without a hitch, with Brooks saying, "He wrote me a lovely note telling me how much he loved the picture. He said it's a dangerous comedy. He said, 'I was afraid I would bust something from laughing.'" Brooks further explained just how relaxed Lucas was with the whole situation, confidently explaining, "He wouldn't have sued me anyway. He's not that kinda guy."
So while general audiences may not have taken to Spaceballs right away, George Lucas was actually one of the first people to be on board. And over the past couple of decades, the comedy has been appreciated by more and more people, with even Fox trying to "bribe" Brooks into making a sequel on multiple occasions. But as he's said numerous times, "I don't want in any way to compete with the movie or hurt it," which most will agree is for the best.