How George Lucas Prevented Spaceballs Merchandising | Den of Geek

“I thought, science fiction,” Brooks writes in his book All About Me! My Remarkable Life In Show Business, via Literary Hub. “Now there’s a genre I haven’t wrecked yet.” 

The idea opened possibilities to skewer such beloved galactic debris as “Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and, reaching back for more fun, the unique and campy director Ed Wood’s Plan 9 from Outer Space. It was a genre rich with opportunities for devastating satire.”

The genre is also rich in the vast wealth of toys, gadgets, and collectibles. Rick Moranis, who parodied Star Wars’ villain Darth Vader in the role of Dark Helmet, “brilliantly improvised one of his most famous scenes in the movie, the one in which he gets caught playing with little action figure versions of Lone Starr, Princess Vespa, and himself,” Brooks said.

As perfect as this looks on screen, it never materialized on the loading docks for store shelves. “Even though in the movie itself we have Dark Helmet playing with action figures, we never sold any,” Brooks said.

In spite of the recurring gag which runs through Spaceballs, no actual merchandise was ever marketed. The movie was made for it, and the concept made it into the film, but no collectibles were ever used to promote the movie, sold at shops, or hawked at conventions. The decision came from on high.

“The same way I called Alfred Hitchcock to get his blessings on High Anxiety, I sent the Spaceballs script to Star Wars creator George Lucas,” Brooks wrote. “He said he had seen Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein and was a big fan. He enjoyed the script, and only had one real caveat for me: no action figures.”