All articles tagged with #mel brooks
Mel Brooks, the 100-year-old comedy icon behind Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, credits laughter as the key to his longevity as he reflects on WWII service and seven decades of work, with ongoing projects including a Spaceballs reboot, an animated film, and an HBO documentary; he has also donated thousands of papers to the National Comedy Center.
Marking his 100th birthday, the piece spotlights eight scenes across Brooks’s career that reveal his fearless satirical edge, showmanship, and warmth—from The Producers and Blazing Saddles to Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, and his production work on The Elephant Man, plus History of the World, Part I and Spaceballs, illustrating how he reshaped American comedy and remains culturally vital with a planned Spaceballs sequel.
On the eve of his 100th birthday, a New York Times tribute catalogs 100 reasons to celebrate Mel Brooks, tracing how his fearless blend of satire, music, and meta-humor—from The Producers to Blazing Saddles and Spaceballs—redefined American comedy and helped bring Jewish humor into mainstream cinema.
Profile of Mel Brooks, born in Brooklyn a century ago, whose WWII service helped forge his fearless, boundary-pushing humor; from the 2,000 Year Old Man with Carl Reiner to landmark films such as The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, he reshaped parody cinema and earned an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony, remaining a defining force in American entertainment as he turns 100.
Mel Brooks, who turns 100 on June 28, credits humor and laughter as key to his long, happy life, saying comedy keeps him sane and gives him a reason to live; studies link laughter to lower mortality and cortisol, and Brooks remains active with projects like a Spaceballs sequel and a related HBO documentary, while noting he doesn’t dwell on death and just keeps living.
Legendary comedian Mel Brooks turns 100 this year, celebrated with film premieres and a look back at a career that includes classic works like The Producers, The 2000 Year Old Man, and documentaries highlighting his influence in comedy.
Mel Brooks celebrates his 100th birthday, tracing a career from Brooklyn-born WWII veteran to comedy legend known for The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and the 2000 Year Old Man with Carl Reiner; he recently donated thousands of archives to the National Comedy Center.
FX has ordered Very Young Frankenstein, a fresh take on Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, starring Zach Galifianakis with Dolly Wells and Spencer House; the series is produced by 20th Television, written by Stefani Robinson, directed by Taika Waititi, and executive-produced by Brooks, Waititi and Robinson among others. It’s set before the 1974 film and will air on FX and Hulu.
FX has ordered a series adaptation of Mel Brooks’ cult film Young Frankenstein, titled Very Young Frankenstein. The comedy comes from Stefani Robinson, Taika Waititi and Garrett Basch, with Brooks as executive producer. Zach Galifianakis leads the cast alongside Dolly Wells, Spencer House, Kumail Nanjiani and Cary Elwes; Waititi directs the pilot and Robinson wrote it. The FX/Hulu series is produced by 20th Television and is part of FX’s current pilot-to-series batch, which also includes other greenlit projects while some pilots did not move forward.
Mel Brooks announced Spaceballs: The New One as the sequel’s title and debuted its first footage at CinemaCon, signaling a goofy, nostalgia‑fuelled return. The clip features a mix of returning stars (Rick Moranis, Daphne Zuniga, Bill Pullman) and new faces (Lewis Pullman, Josh Gad) under director Josh Greenbaum, with callbacks to the original and over‑the‑top sci‑fi gags. The film is set for release on April 23, 2027, and expectations are high for a fun, silly Spaceballs return.
At CinemaCon, Mel Brooks announced the title of the Spaceballs sequel: Spaceballs: The New One. The film, a follow-up to the 1987 parody, brings back original cast members Rick Moranis, George Wyner, Daphne Zuniga, Bill Pullman and Brooks, with new stars Josh Gad, Keke Palmer and Anthony Carrigan; Lewis Pullman will play the son of Lone Starr. Script by Gad, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, with production by Amazon MGM Studios, and a planned release date of April 23, 2027.
A Rolling Stone profile of Mel Brooks through the HBO documentary The 99-Year-Old Man shows how the comedian reshaped humor by mixing high and low with fearless satire of prejudice, from Blazing Saddles to Young Frankenstein, cementing a legacy of boundary-pushing comedy.
Two‑part HBO documentary Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (Apatow/Bonfiglio) traces Brooks’s life from Brooklyn to today, using archival clips and new interviews to foreground his friendships with Carl Reiner and his marriage to Anne Bancroft; funny and deeply emotional, the four‑hour tribute doubles as a loving portrait of a life in comedy and the relationships that defined it.
During a post-screening Q&A for his HBO documentary Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, the 99-year-old comedian said he was glad Carl Reiner died before learning of Rob Reiner’s murder, reflecting on their 70-year friendship and Carl’s influence; the piece notes the two‑part HBO Max documentary includes posthumous interviews with Carl and Rob, and that Rob Reiner’s son has been charged in the deaths of Rob and his wife.
Amazon MGM Studios is officially working on a sequel to Spaceballs, titled Spaceballs 2, set for release in 2027, with Rick Moranis returning as Dark Helmet after a long hiatus from live-action films, alongside original cast members and new additions, in a film described as a 'non-prequel, non-reboot sequel' with reboot elements.