The Schwartz awakens.
“Spaceballs: The New One” is headed to theaters on April 23, 2027, and the film was previewed during Amazon MGM Studios’ CinemaCon presentation. And if you were a fan of the 1987 original, directed and co-written by Mel Brooks, chances are that you’ll be over the moon for the follow-up.
With the film still in post-production, Amazon MGM decided to present the sneak peek in a different way: With a narrator explaining the long road to this legacyquel, all while lampooning Hollywood’s recent history of merging studios and cancelling films for a tax break.
“Nearly 40 years ago, a promise was made,” explained an epic voiceover. “Some people thought it was just a joke. But then, with Hollywood studios merging willy nilly like middle aged couples at a swingers party, Amazon acquired MGM and opened the vault.”
“That’s when a promise that began as a joke, that had become a myth, suddenly became a reality that would, at worst, one day, be used as a write off,” it continued. “While they can’t show you much, they can show you a series of clips riddled with unfinished visual effects that make little sense out of context, but look awesome and very, very theatrical.”
And among those many scenes was one that lampooned one of the biggest franchises to hit theaters in the decades since the first “Spaceballs”: “Avatar.” As the infamous Dark Helmet goes to the bathroom, a Na’vi walks in to the urinal next to him…and the sound of a high pressure hose can be heard.
“I see you,” says an awestruck Helmet.
Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis, Brooks, Daphne Zuniga and George Wyner return from the original, this time joined by Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman (as Lone Starr and Vespa’s son Starburst) and Anthony Carrigan.
The cast appeared onstage to talk about the movie and, in a gag worthy of Brooks, each of Moranis’ co-stars kept interrupting him every time he tried to talk about his first film role in 30 years.
“Spaceballs: The New One,” coming 40 years after the original, was directed by Josh Greenbaum, who made “Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar” and “Strays” (and the terrific commentary “Too Funny to Fail” about the short-lived “Dana Carvey Show”) and written by Gad, Brooks, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez.
Brooks, Gad, Greenbaum, Kevin Salter, Jeb Brody, Brian Grazer and Jeb Brody are the credited producers.
“Spaceballs: The New One” hits theaters on April 23, 2027.
