Mel Brooks right in the middle of a new short film that goes backstage on set History of the World: Part II. In a Variety exclusive, the famed producer and director is jokingly asked if he’s ever heard of the concept for the series since Brooks wrote and directed the original film in 1981. look at the story through a bunch of comedy sketches. The origins of some things, such as marriages and funerals, are depicted in a funny and unexpected way that allows viewers to chuckle at the alternative history of humanity.
Short film producers Nick Kroll And Wanda Sykes discuss what Brooks’ legacy means for the new series and how it helped them create a sequel better suited to modern times. Sykes even mentions how the duo pitched the show to Brooks before they started production to make sure the project lived up to its title. As the producer explains how History of the World: Part II come together, Abraham Lincoln can be seen hitting his head on a door frame, declaring that this incident would be the worst thing that could happen to his head in 1865.
In addition to creating the streaming series, Brooks, Kroll and Sykes also starred in several sketches presented during the season. While Brooks gives context, Nick Kroll takes the place of the likes of Judas, Galileo and Henry Kissinger. On the other hand, Sykes plays Harriet Tubman, Bessie Coleman and Shirley Chisholm. As the original film shows, the concept is not limited to one historical period, but explores different moments that occur even in different centuries.
The historical inspiration behind the Hulu series
When creating a TV show related to the history of mankind, you can choose from a variety of time periods and places, which makes the task a little more difficult than it should be. During an interview with Collider, Wanda Sykes explained that the team behind History of the World: Part 2 Luckily, we already had some ideas: “We knew the film had such a great structure that you have some of the longer parts that you spend a little more time on, like Rome and the French Revolution. So we knew we wanted to do it. I knew I wanted to do something about the Civil War, Wanda wanted to tell the story of Shirley Chisholm, and Nick wanted to tell the story of a Russian Jew living in a shtetl.”
All episodes History of the World: Part 2 now available for streaming on Hulu. You can check out the new short film below:
Source: Collider
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