The way Mel Brooks came up for the idea for his 1981 comedy film History of the World, Part I stemmed from a seemingly sarcastic conversation he had on a studio lot. Brooks recalled it as follows:
I was walking across the parking lot at 20th-Century Fox on my way to my office when one of the grips who had worked on High Anxiety shouted to me from the back of a moving truck. 'Hey Mel, what's next? Planning a big one?'
From out of the blue the biggest title I could think of popped into my mind: 'Yes, the biggest movie ever made. It's called 'History of the World.'' Someone else on the truck yelled: 'How can you cover the whole world in one movie?'
'You're right,' I shouted. 'Maybe I'll call it 'History of the World — Part I.'
Despite the title, Brooks never intended a sequel with the title being a play on The History of the World, Volume 1 by Sir Walter Raleigh. (While prisoner in the Tower of London; he had only managed to complete the first volume before being beheaded)
However, in a shock announcement back in October 2021, it was announced Brooks in fact would write and executive produce a sequel in the form of a variety series though still titled History of the World, Part II with each episode seemingly parodying a different historical period. An official teaser has finally been released giving some tidbits of what eras to expect. Check it out below:
History of the World, Part II is set to premiere on Hulu on March 6th.