Where Is Mel Brooks Now? Inside the 'Spaceballs' Director's Life Today and How He's Still Making Audiences Laugh
Mel Brooks is experiencing a resurgence of his most famous works
people.comHere’s the latest I can share about Mel Brooks’s filmography, based on news and recent summaries available up to 2026.
Direct answer
- Mel Brooks remains active in projects tied to his legacy, with ongoing developments around Spaceballs and related media, and a recent HBO Max documentary about his career released in January 2026. This signals continued engagement with film and screen projects, both in development and retrospective formats.
Details and current-adjacent items
- Spaceballs sequel status: In mid-2025, reports indicated a sequel titled Spaceballs: The New One was in production with a target release around 2027. This points to renewed interest in expanding his most famous sci-fi parody property.
- Very Young Frankenstein: There were announcements in 2025 about an executive-producing TV project for FX titled Very Young Frankenstein, signaling Brooks’s foray into television development linked to his classic material.
- Documentary release: The HBO documentary Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! debuted for streaming on HBO Max in January 2026, highlighting a retrospective and ongoing public interest in his career.
- Broader reception and presence: Coverage in Britannica and Britannica-adjacent news notes his enduring status as a landmark filmmaker whose work (The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs) remains influential, with renewed media attention around anniversaries and revivals.
Selected filmography highlights (well-known works, not exhaustive)
- The Producers (1968): Brooks directed, wrote, produced; classic fever dream of satirical comedy.
- Blazing Saddles (1974): Co-writer/director; landmark Western parody.
- Young Frankenstein (1974): Co-writer/director; homage/parody with classic horror spoof elements.
- History of the World: Part I (1981): Director/writer/producer; modular historical spoof.
- Spaceballs (1987): Writer/director; space opera spoof that remained a fan favorite.
- Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993): Director/writer; campy spoof of the Robin Hood legend.
- Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995): Director/writer; vampire spoof.
Notes
- Keep in mind that filmography developments can move quickly with announcements, development deals, or festival/showcase appearances. If you’d like, I can narrow to:
- Only feature films Brooks directed or co-directed
- Only projects announced for release in the next 2–3 years
- Official sources (press releases, studio announcements) for the most up-to-date statuses
Would you like a concise table of his major filmography by decade, or a timeline of announced projects with current status where available? I can also fetch the latest official statements if you want the most current confirmations.