Mel Brooks has been teasing Spaceballs 2 since 1987, when his character Yogurt joked about a sequel called Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. Nearly 40 years later, that joke has become an actual movie. It won't make the 2026 release calendar, but Brooks is finally returning to the galaxy he helped make ridiculous. At 100 years old, though, the comedy legend had one very practical request before production went too far.
According to People, Daphne Zuniga, who reprises her role as Princess Vespa in Spaceballs: The New One, shared the story during a Melrose Place panel at 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut, on Oct. 18. The actress revealed that Brooks was actively involved with the sequel's writing process, but when it came time to shoot his scenes, he apparently had no interest in testing Father Time's patience. Zuniga explained:
We filmed Spaceballs: The New One that Mel Brooks worked with the writers on. He’s a big influence in it. He filmed his part already before we shot. It was his idea: ‘You better film me now because I’m 100.’ So we did.
Well, you certainly cannot argue with that logic. There is something wonderfully Mel Brooks about a 100-year-old filmmaker reminding everyone to prioritize his scenes before worrying about the rest of the production schedule. The man has spent more than seven decades making jokes about everything from Nazis to the history of organized religion. I suppose his own mortality was never going to be off-limits.
What makes the story particularly funny is that Brooks apparently delivered the request with the same matter-of-fact timing that helped make him a comedy legend. No dramatic speech required. Just a century-old actor reminding everyone tomorrow isn't guaranteed. Thankfully, the production listened, and Brooks has already completed his scenes as Yogurt, the little golden sage who taught Lone Starr the ways of the Schwartz.
Rick Moranis is returning as Dark Helmet, marking a rare live-action comeback. Bill Pullman is also back as Lone Starr alongside Zuniga's Vespa. Perhaps the funniest casting decision is that Pullman's real-life son, Lewis Pullman, will play the couple's son, Prince Starburst. The elder Pullman has already shared fun details about working with his son, making the reunion even better.
Josh Gad, Keke Palmer and Anthony Carrigan are joining the fun, with Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar filmmaker Josh Greenbaum directing. Gad also co-wrote the screenplay with Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. Interestingly, the actor previously revealed that his daughter helped inspire him to pursue the sequel, thanks to a joke in the original movie that still holds up nearly four decades later. Since the original Spaceballs was already making fun of sequel culture nearly four decades ago, I think Brooks has plenty of new material to work with.
I have also been encouraged by what we have heard about the production. Earlier this year, Gad discussed John Candy's influence on the upcoming sequel, something I was particularly concerned about given how much Candy's Barf contributed to the original film. And then there is Moranis, who described returning to Spaceballs after nearly 40 years as a surreal experience. Getting him back in that ridiculously oversized helmet is already a minor Hollywood miracle.
Still, hearing that Brooks was involved with the writing and made sure he could actually perform his scenes might be my favorite update yet. Spaceballs: The New One is scheduled to hit the 2027 movie schedule, landing in theaters April 23. By then, Brooks will be 100 years old and only a couple of months away from turning 101.
Here's hoping Yogurt gets another great joke out of the experience. At the very least, Brooks has already proven he can handle a Hollywood production schedule. May the Schwartz and a reasonably accommodating call sheet be with him.
