In the immortal words of Lone Starr, “We’re not just doing this for money. We’re doing it for a shitload of money! That’s right, a sequel to Mel Brooks’ 1987 Star Wars spoof Spaceballs is in the works at Amazon MGM Studios. Jeff Sneider first broke the news that has since been confirmed by Deadline that Josh Gad will star in and produce. Brooks is also aboard as producer.
Spaceballs is considered by many to be a sci-fi comedy classic. The original movie starred Rick Moranis as Darth Helmet, Bill Pullman as roguish Lone Starr, John Candy as the Chewbacca riff Barf, Joan Rivers as C3PO parody Dot Matrix, and Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa. Brooks played Yogurt, and you can guess who he was based on. Characters utilized “the Schwartz” rather than the Force, and fight with pseudo-lightsabers that extend from their rings.
Gad will also co-write the script with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, the latter duo having worked on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Behind the camera will be Josh Greenbaum, known for directing Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar, the canine comedy Strays, and the new documentary Will & Harper that follows Will Ferrell.
While not a huge hit when it was released, Spaceballs earned $38M but became a classic for its goofy take on a beloved franchise.
Gad currently stars in the Peacock series Wolf Like Me, and is prepping his directorial debut, a Chris Farley biopic starring Paul Walter Hauser.
