Mel Brooks to Write Sequel to 'History of the World'

Actor, comedian and writer Mel Brooks, holds up his 2015 National Medal of Arts awarded to him by ex-President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Carolyn Kaster / AP
Actor, comedian and writer Mel Brooks, holds up his 2015 National Medal of Arts awarded to him by ex-President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Carolyn Kaster / AP
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Mel Brooks to Write Sequel to 'History of the World'

Actor, comedian and writer Mel Brooks, holds up his 2015 National Medal of Arts awarded to him by ex-President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Carolyn Kaster / AP
Actor, comedian and writer Mel Brooks, holds up his 2015 National Medal of Arts awarded to him by ex-President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Carolyn Kaster / AP

Mel Brooks, the 95-year-old US comedy icon, is to help write a sequel for his 1981 classic film "A History of The World Part I" as an eight-part series for Hulu, the streaming service said Monday.

"I can't wait to once more tell the real truth about all the phony baloney stories the world has been conned into believing are History!" the veteran movie-maker and actor said in a statement.

Brooks, one of the few artists to have received awards from across the full spectrum of Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tonys, made the original "History of the World Part I" 40 years ago.

According to Hulu, Brooks will be supported in the production and writing of the show by Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, David Stassen and Kevin Salter.

Writing for the series should begin "this month" and filming start in the spring of 2022, said the platform, whose majority shareholder is Disney.

A worldwide success after its release in 1981, "History of the World Part I" is a slapstick comedy that parodied history from the Stone Age to the French Revolution.

Brooks played the parts of Moses and King Louis XVI, among others.

The film ended with the announcement of a sequel featuring a segment called "Hitler on Ice," along with a teaser of an ice-skating German dictator.

Born on June 26, 1926 into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, Brooks always wanted to ridicule Hitler -- as in one of his first musicals, "The Producers", which became one of his greatest hits.

The filmmaker's memoir is expected to come out at the end of November.



Joyful Musical ‘Titanique’ Puts Celine Dion Center Stage

Canadian Singer Celine Dion performs at the Eiffel Tower at the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Reuters)
Canadian Singer Celine Dion performs at the Eiffel Tower at the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Reuters)
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Joyful Musical ‘Titanique’ Puts Celine Dion Center Stage

Canadian Singer Celine Dion performs at the Eiffel Tower at the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Reuters)
Canadian Singer Celine Dion performs at the Eiffel Tower at the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Reuters)

Imagine if singer Celine Dion had been on the Titanic, survived, and wanted to revisit her version of events. That is the premise of the musical "Titanique" that has opened in London's West End.

Featuring Dion’s back catalogue, the show's light-hearted tone is a break with previous more somber accounts of the story of the ocean liner that hit an iceberg and sank in 1912.

It blends elements from the plot of the 1997 movie version, which starred actors Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as lovers Rose and Jack, and other pop culture references.

Tye Blue, who directs and also wrote the musical along with actor and writers Constantine Rousouli and Marla Mindelle, describes it as "a joy machine".

The story is told through the eyes of the character Celine Dion, played by Lauren Drew.

"This is very much a love letter to Celine Dion....paying homage to her and her craft and her strength," Drew said after coming off stage. "It's completely embodying her kookiness, her craziness and her talent. So I just I love that I get to do that every night."

Blue said Dion's team came to see the show after it opened in New York and that "they loved it" and "kind of unofficially gave us their blessing".

Last year Dion returned to the live stage with a performance at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris.

The 56-year-old singer said in late 2022 that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome that causes muscle spasms.

The music from the show includes ballads such as "Titanic’s" award-winning hit "My Heart Will Go On" and Eric Carmen’s "All by Myself" that Dion released in 1996.

"Titanique" is playing at the Criterion Theater until March 2025. Other versions of it are playing in Sydney, Toronto and Montreal, and another is set to open in France in April.