In 1987, four years after "Return of The Jedi" first played in theaters, came a little movie which introduced an interim generation to the force that was "Star Wars." Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs" was one of his signature parody takes on the film, filled with not only "Star Wars" references, but smart commentaries on pop culture of the time.
It has been no secret that Mel Brooks has been wanting to revisit the Schwartz (the version of The Force in "Spaceballs"). Even in February 2015, he was already discussing his plans for a sequel, titled "The Search For More Money."
With the record-breaking success of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," it looks like the new "Spaceballs" movie will finally be able to to get the green light. As revealed in an interview with Adam Carolla on his "Take A Knee" podcast, Brooks said that he would like to begin filming the sequel in 2016.
Reference to the sequel was already brought up within the self-aware first movie which, among other things, poked fun at the popularity and incredible marketing that went into the Original Trilogy back in the '80s. Brooks has repeatedly joked that he and the cast of "Spaceballs" have been asked many times over the last 25 years when "Spaceballs: The Search For More Money" would become a reality.
"I'm thinking now, if I did a movie that came out right after Star Wars comes out - maybe a couple of months later - I'd have a big weekend, you know, No matter what, even if it fell on its ass and didn't get its money back ... but that first weekend, the anticipation of seeing 'Spaceballs 2' ... I still have Daphne Zuniga and I still have Rick Moranis if he'd do it, and I've still got me," Brooks said.
Unfortunately, Rick Moranis, one of the stars of the original film who wore the infamously oversized Vader-inspired helmet, has retired from acting and has even turned down reprising his role in the "Ghostbusters" reboot with Bill Murray and his other cast mates. Observers say that he is highly unlikely to return for a "Spaceballs" reboot in this case.
In addition, John Candy, who played a Chewbacca-inspired Barf, and Joan Rivers, who voiced a genderbent C-3PO named Dot Matrix, have also passed away.
However, Daphne Zuniga and Bill Pullman, who were also leads in the film, might be enough to pull off a "Spaceballs 2." And, of course, if Brooks decides to take a page from "The Force Awakens," perhaps a sequel featuring a whole new generation of Schwartz-strong adventurers might just be the breath of fresh air that today's pop culture landscape needs.
