Happy 100th birthday to Mel Brooks! Here are 12 tales from his legendary film, Spaceballs.
In celebration of Mel Brooks' 100th birthday, here are 12 behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his film Spaceballs — as we eagerly anticipate the upcoming Spaceballs 2.
As incredible as it sounds, Mel Brooks has confirmed that Spaceballs 2 is set to be released in 2027 — four decades after the original Spaceballs. Coincidentally, 2027 marks the year when the now 98-year-old Brooks, one of the greatest comedic talents of all time, will celebrate his 101st birthday (his birthday is June 28).
Brooks remarked in his announcement, "I told you we’d be back."
Now, let's explore 12 behind-the-scenes stories from Spaceballs — a sci-fi comedy that zooms through jokes at ludicrous speed.
Mel Brooks Was Inspired by His Son’s Love for Star Wars
MGM – Credit: C/O
Spaceballs draws from many sci-fi classics but particularly parodies the original Star Wars from 1977. According to his memoir, All About Me!, he got the idea for Spaceballs because “my son Max adored the Star Wars films. I took him to various screenings, and for his tenth birthday, he had a Star Wars-themed party.”
This inspired Brooks with the thought: “Science fiction! Now there’s a genre I haven’t ruined yet.”
He had, of course, already tackled Westerns with Blazing Saddles and horror films with Young Frankenstein, both released in 1974, along with other genres.
Mel Brooks Claims Some Credit for Star Wars
20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O 20th Century Fox
Without Star Wars, there would be no Spaceballs. However, if Young Frankenstein hadn't existed, Star Wars might not have come to be — at least not in the form we know. Here's why:
In his memoir, All About Me!, Mel Brooks explains that the decision of 20th Fox executive Alan Ladd to greenlight Brooks’ 1974 success Young Frankenstein gave him enough influence to greenlight over three hundred films throughout his illustrious career, including High Anxiety (1977), Star Wars (1977), Alien (1977), Blade Runner (1982), A Fish Called Wanda (1988), and Thelma and Louise (1991).
Naturally, Spaceballs also takes elements from Alien and other sci-fi classics.
Spaceballs Was Also Inspired by It Happened One Night
Columbia Pictures
A significant reference point for Spaceballs was not another sci-fi film, but the Frank Capra classic, 1934’s It Happened One Night. This film was the first to sweep the top five Oscar categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
The story features an heiress (Claudette Colbert) who escapes her unexciting groom on her wedding day and falls for a charming regular guy played by Clark Gable. “We took that same basic plot and shot it into space!” Brooks commented in his memoir.
In Spaceballs, Princess Vespa from Planet Druidia (Daphne Zuniga) forsakes her dull groom, Prince Valium, on her wedding day, and develops feelings for a cool regular guy named Lone Starr (Bill Pullman).
Daphne Zuniga Wasn’t Initially a Mel Brooks Fan
MGM – Credit: C/O
Before collaborating with Brooks, Zuniga (shown in a promotional image above) claimed she found his movie parodies “too crass and just not funny,” according to Turner Classic Movies. However, she changed her perspective after working on Spaceballs.
“I have this image of Mel as completely wacko and out to lunch. And he is. But he’s also incredibly perceptive and sensitive in ways that resonate with actors,” she shared.
Brooks remembers that when he offered her the role of Vespa, she expressed uncertainty, saying, “I don’t know. I haven’t done much comedy.” He replied, “That could be a plus!” (He explained that part of effective comedy is delivering it earnestly.)
Ultimately, Zuniga proved to be quite humorous in Spaceballs, mainly because her character seemed to take all the ridiculousness around her seriously.
Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks Rejected the Role of Lone Starr
20th Century Fox/Paramount – Credit: C/O
Both Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise turned down the role of Lone Starr, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
You can see how they looked around the time of Spaceballs in 1987 — that's Hanks, on the left, in a 1988 promo for Big, and Cruise, on the right, in a 1988 promotional image for Top Gun — and imagine what might have been.
The role eventually went to a then-unknown Bill Pullman.
John Candy Ad-Libbed One of the Best Lines
MGM – Credit: C/O
John Candy
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Happy 100th birthday to Mel Brooks! Here are 12 tales from his legendary film, Spaceballs.
In celebration of Mel Brooks' 100th birthday, we present 12 behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his film Spaceballs while we look forward to the anticipated Spaceballs 2.