Finding its name

While grabbing lunch at the 20th Century Fox commissary in 1984, Mel Brooks was put on the spot by a studio exec asking about his next project.

Brooks blurted out “Planet Moron!”—a joke that kickstarted the idea for Spaceballs.

The original title was dropped after Morons from Outer Space came out, and Spaceballs stuck thanks to Brooks’ love of “space” adventures and “screwball” comedy.