It’s been 20 long years since the last time Mel Brooks directed a movie. The man’s remained busy, though — those phone calls with Carl Reiner aren’t gonna ring themselves — and unlike fellow old-guy comedians Woody Allen and Bill Cosby, he’s not a creep.
Excuse me, an ALLEGED creep.
Plus, Brooks is still as sharp as ever, as he proved in his chat with Jimmy Kimmel. He’s even in touch with current technology, including podcasts. His WTF episode with Marc Maron is a must-listen, and he was recently on Adam Carolla’s Take a Knee, where he, according to Consequence of Sound, confirmed his desire to make a sequel to Spaceballs called Spaceballs: Search For More Money, presumably starring Ben Schwartz.
In a [separate] interview with Parade, Brooks mentioned that screenwriter Tom Meehan had “some great ideas” for a sequel. However, Moranis’ participation (or lack thereof) has proved the biggest obstacle. “Without Rick, I wouldn’t do it,” Brooks explained. “I’ve got the helmet in storage, just waiting for him.” He added that he’s spoken with Moranis a few times over the years, but he’s “really strict” about remaining retired. (Via)
The issues with making Spaceballs 2 don’t begin and end with convincing Moranis to come out of retirement (though if he wants to make a sequel to Little Giants that ends with a climatic helmet-catch…). John Candy, Joan Rivers, and Dom DeLuise are dead, and now I’m sad.
At least Brooks’ presence is felt in Star Wars VII.
It’s a literal space-ball!
