When it comes to comedy movies, Mel Brooks belongs on the Mount Rushmore of all-time greats. He is responsible for some incredible films, including Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, History of the World Part 1, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. And that's just the tip of the iceberg of his wide-ranging career.
One of his most popular films remains Spaceballs, a parody of Star Wars and a variety of other science fiction properties. With Amazon producing a sequel series to History of the World Part 1, some have wondered if a Spaceballs sequel is on the way. There are a lot of ways that could go right and wrong.
10 WOULDN'T WORK: The Story Has Been Told
When it comes to sequels or prequels, some movies work better than others. If a movie is already solid as a self-contained story all on its own, the need for additional entries in the franchise sometimes just isn't there.
That could certainly be the case with Spaceballs. The classic film told its story perfectly and there might simply not be anything left to tell. There's a reason that a lot of people see this movie as one of the best parody comedies ever made and being a one-off film is part of that.
9 WOULD WORK: Bringing Back Rick Moranis
There was a time that Rick Moranis was one of the most sought-after comedic actors in the world. And Spaceballs was a big part of that. While there were a lot of great performances in this movie, his turn as Dark Helmet made this movie special.
Moranis took a step back from Hollywood many years ago to deal with family issues. If he ever chooses to become even a part-time actor again, a sequel to Spaceballs would certainly benefit from his skill. Fans would love it, too.
8 WOULDN'T WORK: The World Has Moved On
Call it a success story. Call it a cult classic. However this movie is defined, what is certain is the fact that it still has a lot of fans decades after its release. But that doesn't mean that the world needs or wants any additional entries in this franchise.
The time for a sequel to Spaceballs passed years ago. This movie came out in 1987, making it almost 35 years old. Had it been a more active franchise in the interim, another movie might make more sense. As it stands, very few people are asking for this.
7 WOULD WORK: The World Needs More Parody SciFi
Good parody is timeless, something that "Weird Al" Yankovic can attest to from personal experience. The same is true in movies as it is in music, just look at the likes of Airplane!. Hollywood has a long history of producing good parodies, several of them created by Mel Brooks.
But for every good parody, there are 20 bad ones. There's always a need for more excellent comedy parodies in the world, particularly when it comes to science fiction films and TV series. The genre is often too serious for its own good.
6 WOULDN'T WORK: Already Had A Good Ending
While it can be easy to write a comedy parody off as not being art, nothing could be further from the truth. Spaceballs is a fully fleshed-out concept with a well-structured story that is highly satisfying to watch.
This movie has a superb and hilarious ending, one that left the characters exactly where they needed to be. It's honestly hard to imagine what kind of story a sequel could tell that would improve on the existing ending.
5 WOULD WORK: Follow Up On The Characters
That being said, focusing on specific characters and telling their respective stories might be a good idea. While the complete Spaceballs story might have been told, there is something to be said for producing movies that provide another angle of the universe.
That could be as simple as creating individual stories for one or more of the main characters. But this could also be an opportunity to tell a new story that focuses on different characters set in the same world.
4 WOULDN'T WORK: Some Key Actors Are Gone
There are times when a character makes an actor into an icon. That certainly happened with William Shatner as Captain Kirk or Adam West as Batman. But there are also times when an actor makes the character what they are.
Two late comedy icons in John Candy and Joan Rivers played big parts in Spaceballs. It's honestly hard to imagine what a sequel without them would look like, even if the recasting process was incredibly successful.
3 WOULD WORK: Needs To Take On the Sequel Trilogy
If there was ever a reason to bring Spaceballs back for another round, it's the debacle known to Star Wars fans as the sequel trilogy. The most positive thing anyone has said about these movies is that they make the prequel trilogy look coherent and well made.
While there are other science fiction components rolled into Spaceballs, the core of it is mocking Star Wars. And there is no aspect of Star Wars riper for good parody than the sequel trilogy. Honestly, it might be a cathartic experience for fans to actually watch it mocked so effectively.
2 WOULDN'T WORK: It Has Kind Of Already Been Tried And Failed
In 2008/2009, an attempt was made to follow up on Spaceballs. It took the form of an animated series that aired on Super Channel and G4. The series even featured the voicing talents of original cast members Mel Brooks, Daphne Zuniga, and Joan Rivers.
Unfortunately, it was canceled after 13 episodes. The animated series was a semi-sequel that tried to maintain the humor of the original movie. But fans didn't respond to it in the same way. It's hard to imagine that a sequel movie would be any more welcome.
1 WOULD WORK: So Much More Science Fiction To Mock
As previously mentioned, Spaceballs is more than just a parody of Star Wars. It's a parody of popular science fiction in general, with several jokes directed at other movies and franchises. That's part of the film's appeal.
In the nearly 35 years since the movie debuted, the amount of science fiction TV and movies has increased exponentially. There is so much material to work with that a live-action Spaceballs series might actually be needed to have time to mock all of it.