The Schwartz is about to awaken again. Nearly four decades after Mel Brooks skewered the original Star Wars trilogy with one of the greatest parody movies, Spaceballs, and an endless barrage of gags, Spaceballs 2 is finally on the way. With the OG cast — Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, and even Brooks himself — all set to return, fans are buzzing about what exactly will be parodied this time around. Well, as the writers share some teasy comments about that, I have a pretty good idea what’s in store for spoofing.
What Spaceballs 2’s Writers Said About Their Creative Inspiration
Writers Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez recently spoke to Collider, hinted that Mel Brooks’ long-gestating sequel will have no shortage of material to mine. However, they were particularly coy about which Star Wars projects are front and center. They told the outlet:
It’s a provocative question. I could point you in the direction of the teaser trailer that we released, where that gives you an indication of where our brains were.
The hilarious Spaceballs 2 teaser, although mostly just a text in the vein of the iconic Star Wars opening crawl, featured a closing moment that leaned heavily on sequel-trilogy imagery. It specifically included a broken Dark Helmet mask and the line “The Schwartz awakens in 2027.” And yet, as the writers clarified, nothing is off the table:
I think it’s fair to say that anything that has happened since the original Spaceballs is fair game.
That “anything” is doing a lot of heavy lifting, and it’s where my theory begins. Let’s break it down.
I Think I Know What Star Wars Projects Will Be Lampooned
If the Spaceballs sequel is free to parody any post-1987 Star Wars, I think it’s almost certain the somewhat controversial sequel trilogy will be the primary target. Rey, Kylo Ren, Finn and the rest of that era are the most mainstream and recognizable characters of the modern franchise, making them perfect for a broad comedy.
Rick Moranis, who has been mostly retired, returns as Dark Helmet, which, for my money, is another clue. I’d be shocked if Brooks brought him back just to play second fiddle. My guess? Instead of being just a Vader knockoff, Dark Helmet might be reimagined with a Kylo Ren–style twist—possibly as Starburst’s relative or even mentor. Unlike Vader in the sequels, there’s a fair chance Helmet won’t be dead, and that could open the door for parodying the “family drama” trope.
And let’s face it, as big a meme Baby Yoda parody became, even leading to a standalone upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu film, a spoof on that front is inevitable. Whether it’s “Baby Yogurt” or some other pun, Grogu’s cultural footprint is way too big to ignore.
Beyond Star Wars, These Franchises Might Be Fair Game
Star Wars will no doubt serve as the backbone of the upcoming sci-fi movie spoof, but the writers have seemingly hinted that Spaceballs 2 won’t limit itself to just one galaxy. I expect the sequel to take aim at a wide range of blockbuster universes that have shaped pop culture since the late ’80s.
The teaser already hinted at targets like Jurassic Park, Dune, Avatar (past and future installments) and the ever-growing slate of new superhero films. In other words, just about any mega-franchise from the last few decades could end up in the crosshairs—including some recent hits that fans might not see coming. The original Spaceballs earned its laughs by poking fun at sci-fi as a whole, and it looks like the sequel is gearing up to do the same—only this time with an even bigger playground.
Bottom line, I think Spaceballs 2 will anchor itself in a parody of the Star Wars sequels, layering in Kylo-esque family dynamics, a Grogu spoof, and then broadening out to skewer every billion-dollar franchise that’s dominated theaters since the original. In other words, the sequel isn’t just a return to a galaxy far, far away, but it’s shaping up to roast the entire modern blockbuster landscape.
And honestly? That feels exactly like the Spaceballs sequel we’ve been waiting for. Check out the film when it hits theaters in 2027, and stream the OG flick now using an HBO Max subscription.
