[Hannibal]

Spaceballs Being Retooled for TV
Source: Variety
January 20, 2005


Mel Brooks' wacky 1987 "Star Wars" spoof Spaceballs is being retooled for television via a three-way project involving the producer, MGM TV and German company BFC, reports Variety.

Brooks is partnering with Berliner Film Co., whose principal pitched the idea to the producer some months ago, and with MGM, which owns the rights to the original movie. Variety says the idea is to deliver an animated TV series that takes on the latest wave of sci-fi and fantasy icons, including the "Star Wars" prequels and "The Lord of the Rings."

Brooks will be working with his Producers collaborator Thomas Meehan, who co-wrote the Spaceballs movie, to produce the pilot and supervise the writing of the other episodes.

Brooks will again voice two of the returning characters, President Skroob and Yogurt. He's also voicing a character in 20th Century Fox's upcoming Robots.

Under the agreement with Brooks, BFC and MGM will produce an hourlong pilot and 13 half-hour episodes.

[Hannibal]

MGM, Brooksfilms Partner with BFC Berliner Film Companie for 'Spaceballs' Animated TV Series
Thursday January 20, 2:26 pm ET


LOS ANGELES and BERLIN, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BFC Berliner Film Companie has partnered with Brooksfilms and MGM Domestic Television Distribution, a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (NYSE: MGM - News), to create an animated television series based on the classic Mel Brooks comedy "Spaceballs."
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"We are thrilled to be working with a comic genius like Mel Brooks on what we're sure will be the highly successful translation of his classic film comedy to the medium of animation for TV," said Rainer Soehnlein, chief executive officer of BFC Berliner Film Companie Group. "We look forward to our collaboration with him and with MGM, and to bringing 'Spaceballs' to a new audience."

Under the agreement, BFC and MGM will produce an hour-long pilot and 13 half-hour episodes. Additionally, MGM will distribute the program in the U.S., Canada and internationally with the exception of Germany.

HAHAHAHAHH!

Brooks and Thomas Meehan, who together co-wrote the original screenplay, will write the pilot and supervise writing on the rest of the series. Brooks and Soehnlein will serve as executive producers and Brooks will provide the voice of two main characters, President Scroob and Yogurt.

"Primetime animation has become a powerful staple and with the unmatched comedic talents of Mel Brooks and BFC's expertise, you've got quite a winning combination," said Jim Packer, MGM's executive vice president of television distribution, North America. "To this day, 'Spaceballs' is incredibly successful on television and in video, and with the abundance of Sci-fi films that have come out in the past decade, there's no shortage of material for Mel."

"Spaceballs" was released theatrically in 1987. The film's storyline focuses on Planet Spaceball's President Scroob, who sends Lord Dark Helmet to steal Planet Druidia's abundant supply of air to replenish that of his own planet. Only the hero, Lone Star, can stop the evil plan.

BFC currently has more than 144 half-hours of kids' programming in its portfolio, including two other new series, "Sherm!" and "MP4orce" (working title). During the past two years, BFC has successfully distributed four series to international broadcasters, including "Adventurers," "Shadow of the Elves," "Altair in Starland" and "Mission Odyssey." BFC's first U.S. network deal, the hip-hop sci-fi animated series "Da Boom Crew," premiered in September as part of the top-rated Saturday morning lineup on Kids' WB!