The Surprising Reaction George Lucas Had To Spaceballs

With all the drama involved in "Star Wars" movies over the years, it's easy to forget there were some heavy laughs aimed at The Force. None were more significant than legendary Hollywood funnyman Mel Brooks' iconic mock-fest "Spaceballs" in 1987. Starring Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis, John Candy, Daphne Zuniga, and Brooks himself, the movie spoofed everything "Star Wars" had to offer — and the entire sci-fi genre while it was at it.

Who could forget the adventures of Lone Starr (Pullman), Dark Helmet (Moranis), and Barf the Mog (Candy, in a half-man/half-dog role with a furry nod to Chewbacca)? Don't forget the wise Jedi-like wisdom spewing from Yogurt (Brooks), including "May the Schwartz be with you." It's all still funny, maybe even more so today after seemingly endless prequels, sequels, shows, and spinoffs.

The film raked in a healthy-in-1987 $38 million per Box Office Mojo and became a cult classic. The spirited, oft-quoted sendup reminded all of us not to take faraway galaxies quite so seriously all the time — or most of the time.

But what did creator and maestro of the "Star Wars" saga, George Lucas, think of the comedy that so effectively skewered his brainchild? We finally have an answer.

It turns out George Lucas indeed has a sense of humor about his empire-spawning creation — at least when it comes to "Spaceballs." How could he not? In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mel Brooks claimed that not only did Lucas sign off on the script (with an open-to-interpretation, "It's fine"), but he later went on to proclaim a genuine affinity for the finished film. Said Brooks, Lucas "wrote me a lovely note [telling] me how much he loved the picture. He said it's dangerous comedy. He said, 'I was afraid I would bust something from laughing.'" Who knew?

But Lucas went even further in throwing his support behind the movie, according to Brooks. "His company ILM did all the space effects and postproduction for us. And he was so complimentary about the picture. He said, 'Take out the comedy, and it really works as an adventure.'"

Let's hope that last part was merely intended as a compliment, since sitting through "Spaceballs" without the humor might not be as grand an experience as the quote would lead us to believe.

Regardless, it's nice to know that even the "Star Wars" guru can laugh at himself — when it's done right.