'Spaceballs' sequel in development at Amazon — and Mel Brooks is on board

George Wyner (As Colonel Sandurz), Rick Moranis (as Dark Helmet) and Mel Brooks as President Skroob) looking up in fear in Spaceballs
(Image credit: United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo)

"Spaceballs", fans, it looks like "The Search for More Money" is finally happening. That's according to a new report from Variety, which claims Amazon MGM is developing a legacy sequel to the 1987 Mel Brooks sci-fi cult classic.

According to Variety, "Spaceballs 2" is in early development at present, Plot details for "Spaceballs 2" are under wraps at the time of writing, though we do know a few key things about the flick. First and foremost, Mel Brooks is on board for the sequel as a producer. It's not the first time he's revisited one of his classics; in 2023, the 97-year-old entertainer brought us "History of the World, Part II", an eight-part Hulu sketch comedy series that parodied the historical epic. 

Brooks doesn't appear to be behind the screenplay, though; that will instead be written by Josh Gad — who will star and produce, alongside Brooks — and writing duo Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, who most recently collaborated on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem". "Barb and Star go to Vista del Mar" director Josh Greenhaum will helm the project.

If you need a refresher on what happened in the original movie, you can find a short "Spaceballs" synopsis below, along with a clip from Amazon MGM showcasing some of the movie's (many!) moments and some thoughts on what could happen in "Spaceballs 2". 

What was 'Spaceballs' about?

Spaceballs (1987) | Official Trailer | MGM Studios - YouTube Spaceballs (1987) | Official Trailer | MGM Studios - YouTube
Watch On

The original "Spaceballs" movie is first and foremost a "Star Wars" parody (though there are plenty of jokes about countless other flicks like "Alien", "Star Trek", "Transformers" and more packed in along the way).  

The plot follows heroic space pilot Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half-man-half-dog partner, Barf (John Candy) as they mount a space-based royal rescue. Having squandered all of its fresh air, Planet Spaceball's leader, President Skroob (Mel Brooks) attempts to steal the atmosphere of nearby planet Druidia. His plan involves kidnapping Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuiga) and holding her for ransom to get through the planet's air shield.

Mercenaries Lone Starr and Barf owe a lot of money to crime lord Pizza the Hutt, so when King Roland offers a high reward for Vespa's rescue, they take the gig and are thrown into conflict with Skroob's chief enforcer, Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) and his right-hand man, Colonel Sandurz (George Wyner). 

After a crash-landing on a desert planet, Helmet tricks Vespa and her droid, Dot Matrix, and steals them away. But by this point, Lone Starr has received training in the ways of the "Schwartz" from Yogurt and uses his new powers to mount another rescue and put a stop to Helmet and Skroob's scheme.

If you've yet to experience it yourself, you can currently find it on Max.

What else do we know about 'Spaceballs 2'? 

As we mentioned, we don't know much about the plot. However, given the original "Spaceballs" movie was a send-up of 80s sci-fi, it stands to reason that "Spaceballs 2" would be some sort of send-up of everything that's happened in science fiction in the decades since. 

There's also no word whether Rick Moranis will return for the sequel. He was due to return to our screens after a lengthy hiatus in "Shrunk", a continuation of the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" franchise, though judging by Josh Gad's comments on Twitter last year, it seems that movie's on ice for now. But if Gad was able to convince him to come back for "Shrunk", maybe he could get him on board for "Spaceballs 2", especially since Ryan Reynolds managed to bring him back for a Mint Mobile commercial.

More from Tom's Guide

Staff Writer, Streaming

Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.

Read more
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in Mr. & Mrs. Smith
'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' season 2: Everything we know so far
Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2
The 'Happy Gilmore 2' trailer is here — and Bad Bunny and Travis Kelce are hitting the links
Pedro Pascal in Gladiator 2
'Gladiator II' Paramount Plus release date revealed — stream it or skip it?
Sonic 3, Gladiator 2 and Star Trek: Section 31
5 best new movies to stream this weekend (Jan 25-26) on Netflix, Peacock, Paramount Plus, and more
Nicole Kidman in "Holland" coming soon to Prime Video
New on Prime Video in March 2025 — all the new shows and movies to watch
Daredevil: Born Again; The Electric State; The Wheel of Time
What to watch in March 2025: 19 new shows and movies on Netflix, Prime Video and more
Latest in Movies
Michael Fassbender in "Black Bag" (2025).
I watched 'Black Bag' and it's one of the best spy thrillers in years
Robert Pattinson in "Mickey 17" movie (2025)
‘Mickey 17’ is an unforgettable sci-fi fever dream — and Robert Pattinson steals the show
(L-R) Mark Eydelshteyn as Vanya and Mikey Madison as Anora "Ani" Mikheeva in "Anora"
Anora might win the Oscar for Best Picture and it shouldn't — here's why
Cover of Robbie Williams as a CGI monkey in "Better Man"
One of the most overlooked movies of 2025 so far is now streaming — and it deserves a second chance
Tom Cruise in the "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" trailer
Every movie trailer and teaser revealed during Super Bowl 2025 — ‘Thunderbolts,’ ‘Mission: Impossible’ and more
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal, and Joseph Quinn in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps"
Marvel drops first trailer for new ‘Fantastic Four’ movie — and it might just revive my excitement for the MCU
Latest in News
Apple Watch Series 10
Future Apple Watch models could get a surprising new feature — what we know
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max in hand showing displays
Forget iPhone 17 — iPhone 18 could get this huge upgrade
The new Husqvarna iQ series robot lawn mower.
Husqvarna’s new robot mowers offer GPS for less
Rendered images of rumored foldable iPhone.
Foldable iPhone report just revealed key details — here's what we know
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Sunday, March 23 (#651)
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #385 (Sunday, March 23 2025)