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Legendary director, writer, producer, and actor Mel Brooks may be ninety-six years old, but not even his age could "Torquemada" getting back on the saddle for History of the World: Part II (2023). The comedy icon has been making audiences laugh out loud for decades, with his repertoire of all-time classics including The Producers (1967), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Spaceballs (1987), and more. One of Brooks's most well-known and ambitious projects was History of the World: Part I (1981)- an anthology film that saw Brooks play various characters in different time periods, including a stand-up philosopher from Ancient Rome, a musically-inclined inquisitor from the Spanish Inquisition, and a pervy king from Revolutionary France. Though "Part I" is in the film's title, Brooks maintained that the subtitle was a joke and the brief sizzle reel at the end of the film teasing a sequel was never actually in development.
That's all about to change later this year with the release of History of the World Part II. Now formatting the franchise as an anthology series rather than a feature film, this will be the first time Brooks has had a creative writing role in over a decade. With Brooks having a major role in the series and an all-star cast of actors to boot, this is easily one of the most anticipated comedies of 2023. Still, some questions for some just learning of the new installment remain. When and where is the show released? Who's starring in the series? Will we actually see a segment for "Jews in Space" that was jokingly teased all the way back in 1981?
To get all these answers and more, read below to find out everything we know so far about History of the World: Part II.
Watch the Trailer for History of the World: Part II:
The debut trailer for History of the World: Part II is introduced by none other than Mel Brooks himself. Following the brief intro, the main trailer introduces a wide variety of historical figures we can expect to see satirized in the sequel series. These include Mary Magdalene (Zazie Beetz), Sigmund Freud (Taika Waititi), Marco Polo (Jake Johnson), Harriet Tubman (Wanda Sykes), and many, many more. That only scratches the surface of the show’s all-star celebrity cast, which also includes names like Danny DeVito, Seth Rogen, and J.B. Smoove just to name a few. As far as what time periods we can expect to explore this time around, it’s clear that we’ll visit the Civil War era with biting racial commentary and once again see biblical stories with Noah (Seth Rogen) and his famous Ark. We also get to see (in a blink, and you miss it moment) a shot of Star Trek-like figures with the Star of David on their uniforms, which all but confirms that Jews in Space will make its triumphant return to History of the World.
A full-length trailer for History of the World Part 2 was released by Hulu on February 6, 2023. The trailer also revealed more of the mightily extensive cast of talent that the show has, and a joke revolving around Seth Rogen's Noah only bringing different breeds of dogs on board his ark (including three pugs instead of two).
Where Is History of the World: Part II Releasing?
History of the World: Part I was released by 20th Century Fox, so it makes sense that its long-awaited follow-up, History of the World: Part II would be released on Hulu. Though it’s a bit strange to imagine that The Walt Disney Company technically now owns one of the raunchiest comedies of the 1980s, regardless, Hulu will become the streaming home of History of the World: Part II when it premiers later this March.
What Is the Release Date of History of the World: Part II?
Mel Brooks will finally be returning to “the main room” of the comedy world when History of the World: Part II has its two-episode premiere on Monday, March 6th, 2023.
The eight-episode series will be released event style, with two more episodes released every following day until Thursday, March 9th, 2023.
Who Is Making History of the World: Part II?
It simply would not be History of the World without Mel Brooks, and thankfully he will have an extremely active role when it comes to the production of the new series. Though he won’t be in the director’s chair this time around, Brooks is still credited as the writer of the series, with help from co-writer and co-creator David Stassen (Central Intelligence). Brooks and Stassen will also be producing the series along with stars Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, and Nick Kroll.
Also, a part of the crew is cinematographer Kevin Atkinson (Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp), editors Stephanie Filo (Dahmer - Monster: The Jefferey Dahmer Story), Daniel Flesher (Murderville), and George Mandl (Tacoma FD), production designer Monica Sotto (Drunk History), and costume designer Beth Morgan (The Conners).
Who Is Starring in History of the World: Part II?
Part II certainly has some big shoes to fill in the casting department given that Part I assembled some of the biggest comedic actors in the genre at the time, such as Gregory Hines, Dom Deluise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, and Sid Caesar. Thankfully, History of the World: Part II has some pretty big names attached to bring the sequel to life. We already mentioned that in addition to producing, Mel Brooks, Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, and Nick Kroll will all have starring roles in the series, but the list of other stars goes on and on.
Those set to appear are Pamela Adlon (Better Things), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Dove Cameron (Schmigadoon!), Danny DeVito, Jay Ellis (Insecure), Josh Gad (Frozen), Johnny Knoxville (Jackass), Kumail Nanjiani (Welcome to Chippendales), Emily Ratajkowski (Entourage), Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman (Wreck-It-Ralph), J.B. Smoove, and Taika Waititi (Our Flag Means Death).
Also attached to the cast are Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary), Lauren Lapkus (The Wrong Missy), Fred Armisen (Portlandia), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Sam Richardson (Velma), Jake Johnson, Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show), Nick Robinson (Jurassic World), Richard Kind (Curb your Enthusiasm), David Duchovny (The X-Files), Zahn McClarnon (Reservation Dogs), Andrew Rannells (Invincible), Jason Mantzoukas (The House), Jillian Bell (Brittany Runs a Marathon), Timothy Simons (Veep), Ken Marino (The State), D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place), Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Kimiko Glenn (Orange is the New Black), Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), and Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine).
Is History of the World: Part I Currently Streaming?
Unfortunately for those who want to revisit History of the World: Part I, the original film is not currently available for streaming. You can however rent the film from services like AppleTV, Amazon, and more to view for as low as $3.99 USD.