History Of The World Part II Is Actually Getting Made, And Mel Brooks Is Coming Back
Well, here's a shocker for movie fans! Mel Brooks' classic 1981 comedy, cheekily titled "History of the World, Part I," is finally receiving a Part II decades after the fact. The original parody film was made up of episodic vignettes — many of which were comprised of catchy musical numbers — covering multiple different eras of human history, including the Stone Age, the Old Testament, the Roman Empire, the Spanish Inquisition, and the French Revolution. There was even a joke teaser trailer at the very end that lampoons the entire concept of a hypothetical Part II (which was never actually planned in the first place). Believe it or not, "22 Jump Street" wasn't the first film to come up with jokes about fake sequels! Now, however, Mel Brooks has returned to turn self-mockery into reality as we've learned that there will actually be a genuine "History of the World, Part II." Check out the details below.
"The Real Truth About All the Phony Baloney Stories"
Variety brings the exciting and unexpected news that "History of the World, Part II" is coming to Hulu as an eight episode series with production scheduled to begin in Spring of 2022. Mel Brooks, a lightning rod figure and a comedy legend, will be returning to write and executive produce the series and will be joined by Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, David Stassen and Kevin Salter. In case there was any doubt about how Brooks would respond to this news, he released a statement, saying:
"I can't wait to once more tell the real truth about all the phony baloney stories the world has been conned into believing are History!"
Brooks, most famously known for directing such classic films as "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein," "The Producers," and "Spaceballs," starred in multiple roles throughout the original "History of the World" in addition to writing and directing. Variety reports that there is yet no word on which time periods this new Hulu series would cover ... although I'm extremely curious if he'd be up for making a brief appearance on the other side of the camera on this one, as well. The 95-year-old Brooks hasn't exactly sailed off into the retirement sunset, taking mostly voice roles in recent years for films such as "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" in 2014, the "Hotel Transylvania" sequels, and "Toy Story 4." He's even coming out with a memoir in November of 2021, emphatically serving notice that there's still more Mel Brooks for us to enjoy.
We'll bring you more word on "History of the World, Part II" as it arrives. In the meantime, you can rent the original film right this very moment.