When it comes to space vessels, it’s hard to beat Star Wars‘ Millennium Falcon and Star Trek‘s Starship Enterprise, unless it’s the Winnebago truck, perfect for space explorers, operating on a budget. Although genre-specific parodies are mostly a thing of the past, given the industry’s shift toward big-budget IP-driven releases, the iconic Mel Brooks is finally bringing the franchise that popularized the genre in the first place.
As fans gear up for one of the most highly anticipated sequels of this decade, Spaceballs 2, it’s safe to say the iconic Eagle 5 will translate to the modern era, especially given the craze it caused back in the day.
Why settle for the Millennium Falcon when you can have the flying Winnebago
For a parody movie, Spaceballs had a substantial budget at the time, which is reflected in its visual effects, but amidst its impressive visuals, what truly made it a cultural hit was its humor, accompanied by the iconic Eagle-5.
While not the most traditional space vessel, Eagle-5, a Winnebago truck with wings, was absurd in all the right ways, perfectly highlighting Mel Brooks‘ knack for absurdist and self-aware humor.
Brooks’ interview at the time perfectly encapsulated the movie’s essence, whether taking sarcastic pokes at the prospect of Hollywood mistakenly overspending on the spoof or viewers’ craze towards the Winnebago truck.
He said (via Today):
You know, The winnebago company went nuts because they built it for us. They put wings on it. I mean, and, and now they advertise it everywhere and people think, some people, some people in certain states are not too smart. I’m telling you. People are already asking the Winnebago people. We want, I want the one with the wings, The interstellar winnebago. They’re writing in. I swear it’s true.
Barring some people’s gullibility at the time, which still persists, hopefully, the long-awaited sequel will introduce modern renditions of the flying Winnebago.
Guess who’s back for Spaceballs 2?
Although legacy sequels tend to lose the magic of what made the original special, which mostly stems from the absence of the original minds behind the idea, in Spaceballs‘ case, it’s safe to be optimistic.
Not only is Rick Moranis coming out of retirement to star in the sequel, but Brooks, at the sweet age of 98 (as of writing), is also gearing up to reprise the role of Yogurt.
He wrote (via X):
I told you we’d be back. After 40 years, we asked, ‘What do the fans want?’ But instead, we’re making this movie… May the Schwartz be with you.
In addition to giving Clint Eastwood a run for his money, the legendary icon will also serve as a producer on the sequel, ensuring the sanctity of the Schwartz is preserved, especially in the current climate of studio-driven shlock.
Spaceballs is available to stream on Max.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
