Mel Brooks To Reprise As Yogurt In Amazon MGM's New ‘Spaceballs' Movie
Brooks, who directed and starred in the original film, had already been set to produce. Parodying Star Wars' Jedi Master Yoda, his character Yogurt is an alien who in the original served as a mentor to protagonist Lone Starr (Bill Pullman). Described by those who have not yet read the script as 'A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film,' the sequel will be released in theaters in 2027.
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Plot details are being kept under wraps. Josh Greenbaum will direct from a script by Benji Samit, Dan Hernandez, and Josh Gad, as announced in June of last year. Gad is also expected to star and will produce alongside Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Jeb Brody, Brooks, and Greenbaum, with Kevin Salter, Adam Merims, Samit, and Hernandez exec producing.
Released by MGM in 1987, Spaceballs is an iconic send-up of the sci-fi genre, which took inspiration from the Star Wars franchise and other classics. The plot revolves around the evil Dark Helmet (Moranis) and President Skroob (Brooks), who attempt to steal the atmosphere of the peaceful planet Druidia, only to be thwarted by the hero Lone Starr (Pullman), his sidekick Barf (John Candy), and the Druish princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga). Others in the cast included Joan Rivers and Dick Van Patten. The film grossed just over $38.1 worldwide but has endured over the years as a cult classic.
The comedic icon behind such additional classics as The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, Brooks won an Oscar for his script to The Producers, receiving an additional Honorary Oscar in 2024. Over the years, he's also been recognized with a BAFTA fellowship, the AFI's Life Achievement Award, four Emmys, four Golden Globe nominations, three Grammys, multiple WGA Awards (including the Laurel Award for Screen Writing Achievement), and myriad other accolades. Most recently, he wrote on, exec produced and narrated Hulu's History of the World, Part II, a series sequel to his film History of the World, Part I from 1981. He also played himself in an episode of Only Murders in the Building and is repped by CAA and attorney Jay L. Cooper.
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Suggested by u/bvmse Gene Wilder wanted the role of Jim in Blazing Saddles, but director Mel Brooks thought he was too young. "I need an older guy — someone who could look like an over-the-hill alcoholic," he told Wilder. He went with Gig Young, who was known to struggle with alcoholism in real life, which Brooks thought would work well with the character. However, on the very first morning of filming, Young was dealing with alcohol withdrawal — which was made worse by the fact that his character was upside-down. "We draped Gig Young's legs over and hung him upside down. And he started to talk and he started shaking." At first, Brooks thought this was just great acting. Suggested by u/hedbopper But..."The shaking never stopped, and green stuff started spewing out of his mouth and nose, and he started screaming." 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