Spaceballs 2 has over 40 years of new Star Wars content to work with and has a golden opportunity to make the film’s best joke even better. Parody movies are making a surprising comeback in the 2020s. The Naked Gun series is returning in 2025, with Liam Neeson taking over Leslie Nielsen’s role, and a Spaceballs sequel is finally taking major steps. The film is set to debut in 2027, 40 years after the original. The announcement was made by Mel Brooks, with Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis expected to return in their iconic roles.

Brooks is a king of comedic parodies, and Spaceballs is one of his best films. It’s a brilliant parody of Star Wars, which emerged as the biggest franchise in Hollywood during the 1980s. The film mocked the original trilogy, with spoof characters like Brooks’ Yogurt, Moranis’ Dark Helmet, and John Candy’s barf. Since the parody’s debut in 1987, Star Wars has expanded immensely, with a prequel trilogy, a sequel trilogy, and several spinoffs. Spaceballs 2 will have plenty of comedic ammunition, and could make one original joke even more satirical.

Spaceballs’ “Merchandise” Joke Is One Of The Film’s Funniest Jokes

The Joke Is Even More Accurate In Today’s Climate

I rewatched Spaceballs recently, and was amazed by how relevant the movie has remained. Many of the jokes still work, and accurately depict how marketing and business decisions impacted Star Wars. One of the best examples is when the Eagle 5 crew first meet Yogurt, the Yoda parody. The golden keeper of the Schwartz introduces the crew to his shop of Spaceballs merchandise. The store includes Spaceballs-themed T-shirts, coloring books, lunch boxes, cereal, flamethrowers, and Yogurt dolls.

As Yogurt exclaims, merchandising is “Where the real money from the movie is made.” It’s a true statement, which is even more prominent now as it was in 1987. Star Wars merchandise was already wildly popular in the 1980s and this scene perfectly captures how the studio (20th Century Fox at the time) capitalized on the franchise’s success. It also shows how ridiculous some of the merchandise got, as any product could be linked to Star Wars. As the franchise grew, Star Wars merchandising only got more exuberant.

Star Wars Has Expanded So Much More As A Franchise Since 1987

This Includes More Sequels, A Theme Park & More

The original trilogy ended on a high note as the Rebel Alliance defeated the empire once and for all. However, the trilogy’s ending was only the beginning of the franchise as it opened up a new universe that could be explored and mined. In 1999, George Lucas returned for the prequel trilogy, focusing on the downfall of the Jedi Order and Anakin Skywalker’s journey to becoming Darth Vader. After this trilogy ended in 2005, The Clone Wars premiered in 2008, filling in the gaps between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

In 2012, Disney bought Lucasfilm, adding Star Wars to its extensive catalog of family-friendly entertainment. The studio’s acquisition led to an explosion of Star Wars content, starting with the sequel trilogy, spinoff films like Rogue One and Solo, and several Disney+ TV shows, including The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, and The Bad Batch. Outside of films, the franchise has grown in theme parks with Galaxy’s Edge, and events like Star Wars Celebration. More projects are on the way, meaning more merchandising and marketing opportunities for Disney.

The Spaceballs 2 Announcement Has To Circle Back On This Joke

Could We Get A Baby Yogurt?

Spaceballs 2 has so much ammunition to work with for its screenplay. There is so much Star Wars content to mock, but the film can also make fun of Disney and how Hollywood has become so heavily focused on sequels, spinoffs, and remakes. The merchandising joke can easily be expanded, adding how the franchise has benefited from theme parks, streaming services, and social media. It’d be hilarious to see how Yogurt takes advantage of modern Star Wars. Maybe he has Baby Yogurt merchandise, or a Spaceballs streaming service.

Based on the Spaceballs 2 announcement, it looks like the sequel is already satirizing how IP-obsessed entertainment has become. It cracks jokes at Star Wars, but also other franchises, like the DCU, Harry Potter, Marvel, Alien, Predator, Avatar, and Jurᴀssic Park. Hopefully, the upcoming sequel is just as witty as this announcement, creating a worthy follow-up to its comedic predecessor.