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Geek Tyrant
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Rick Moranis Once Pitched a Wild SPACEBALLS Sequel SPACEBALLS III: THE SEARCH FOR SPACEBALLS II — GeekTyrant
Long before the new Spaceballs sequel entered active development, Rick Moranis had his own delightfully absurd take on what a sequel could be, and judging from the title, Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II , it sounds like a meta and ridiculous idea that fans would've enjoyed. In an interview with Heeb, Moranis revealed that after the original Spaceballs became a cult hit on home video (it wasn't a box office smash when it was released), MGM was interested in a sequel. Moranis pitched one directly to Mel Brooks, and it was perfectly on-brand. He said: 'Mel wanted to do a sequel after it became a cult video hit. It wasn't a box office hit. It was a cult video hit, and MGM wanted to do a sequel. And my idea for it was Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II. And I was unable to make a deal with Mel. I couldn't make a deal.' Moranis wanted to skip right over Spaceballs II and go straight to III, which is exactly the kind of nonsensical, self-aware comedy that made the original such a gem. The title alone is perfect. Unfortunately, the project stalled due to deal issues between Moranis and Brooks. 'I wasn't privy to what the budget was or anything, but the deal he presented me, what he wanted me to do, was not workable. It was two or three years later. 'He wanted me to … it's better if I don't get into the particulars of it. Because it is so specific, it's counter-productive to talk about it. But I was unable to make a deal, and it would have been something I would have wanted to do.' That's a shame, because The Search for Spaceballs II would've likely leaned hard into the franchise's self-parody and sci-fi satire. Well, a Spaceballs sequel is finally happening. It's currently slated for release in 2027, with Josh Greenbaum ( Strays ) directing and a script from Josh Gad, Benji Samit, and Dan Hernandez. Moranis is returning as Dark Helmet, and he'll be joined by fellow original cast members Bill Pullman (Lone Star), Daphne Zuniga (Princess Vespa), and Mel Brooks himself, who will reprise his role as Yogurt and President Skroob. Spaceballs follows Lone Star and Barf (the late, great John Candy), a Han-and-Chewie-style duo on a quest to rescue Princess Vespa from the clutches of the hilariously evil Dark Helmet, who plans to steal her planet's air supply. While Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II was never meant to see the light of day, at least fans can look forward to a sequel that brings the original gang back together. Here's hoping it's just as gloriously ridiculous as Moranis once imagined.
New York Times
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Comeback' to Come Back
Valerie Cherish is not finished yet. HBO's critically beloved comedy, 'The Comeback,' starring Lisa Kudrow, will return for a third season next year, more than a decade after its second season concluded, the network announced on Friday. The show centers on the challenges of Valerie Cherish, a former network TV star turned reality show performer (Season 1, which premiered in 2005) and then a premium cable network dramedy actress (Season 2, which premiered in 2014). Over the last two decades, 'The Comeback' has become something of a cult classic, and Kudrow's depiction of Cherish — her big red hair, her earnest demeanor, her totally unique turns-of-phrase — remains a meme in present day. Earlier this year, Variety published a list titled 'The 100 Greatest TV Performances of the 21st Century,' and ranked Kudrow in 'The Comeback' at No. 4. The show, however, has never been broadly popular. HBO canceled 'The Comeback' after it premiered in 2005 because of low ratings, before bringing it back — to the surprise of the industry — for a second season nearly a decade later. The season got a rapturous response from some critics but the result was the same: The ratings were very low. The network gave few details on the premise of the third season, but Kudrow and Michael Patrick King, the 'Sex and the City' producer who cocreated the show, said Cherish was gearing up for another turn in show business. 'Valerie Cherish has found her way back to the current television landscape,' King and Kudrow said in a joint statement. 'Neither of us are surprised she did.' The show will have to navigate its third season without one of its key stars: Robert Michael Morris, the actor who played Valerie Cherish's loyal hairdresser Mickey, died in 2017. The show will go into production this summer, and the network said this would be the show's final season. King is also the executive producer of 'And Just Like That…,' the 'Sex and the City' revival that is currently streaming on Max for its third season.
