“History of the World, Part I” is finally getting a Part II, with Hulu ordering a variety series followup to the classic Mel Brooks comedy film, Variety has learned exclusively.

“History of the World, Part II” is described as a sequel to the 1981 film. The film was made up of segments set during different periods of world history. Among those was the Stone Age, Ancient Rome, and the French Revolution. Like most of Brooks’ work, it also featured musical numbers, including one about the Spanish Inquisition and, of course, “Jews in Space.”

Brooks is a writer and executive producer on the series along with Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, David Stassen and Kevin Salter. There is no word yet on which world events the series will cover. Hulu has ordered eight episodes of the show. The writers room is beginning in October with production slated to begin in Spring 2022.

“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!” Brooks said.

Brooks, a comedy legend and EGOT winner, wrote and directed “History of the World, Part I” in addition to appearing onscreen in five different roles. Those included King Louis XVI and his piss boy doppleganger as well as the stand up philosopher Comicus. The film also featured stars like Gregory Hines, Dom De Luise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, and many more.

Brooks’ comedy films are consistently ranked among the best of all time, such as “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “The Producers,” and “Spaceballs.” He later adapted both “The Producers” and “Young Frankenstein” as critically-acclaimed stage musicals. He has also produced several hit films, most notably David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man.”

He is repped by CAA.

Kroll previously created and starred in the Comedy Central sketch series “Kroll Show” and currently stars in the hit Netflix animated comedy series “Big Mouth,” which he co-created. Sykes is a world-renowned stand up comedian, writer and actress, known for roles in shows like “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” “Black-ish,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and the current Netflix series “The Upshaws.” Barinholtz previously wrote for and starred in “The Mindy Project” and has starred in shows like “Madtv,” “The League” (along with Kroll), and “Bless the Harts.” Stassen also wrote for “The Mindy Project” and recently re-teamed with Barinholtz as writers on the Netflix animated series “Chicago Party Aunt.” Salter is Brooks’ producing partner, having worked with him on projects like “Mel Brooks Live at the Geffen” and “Young Frankenstein Live.”

Kroll is repped by UTA, Rise and Schreck/Rose/Dapello. Sykes is repped by ICM and Roger Pliakas.
Barinholtz is repped by UTA, Artists First, Kovert Creative, and Morris Yorn. Stassen is repped by UTA, Mosaic and Morris Yorn.

Salter is repped by CAA.

The film also featured stars like Gregory Hines, Dom De Luise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, and many more.

Back in October, the trades reported on a sequel to Mel Brooks’ classic 1981 comedy History of the World, Part I. It wasn’t going to be a movie, but rather, an eight-episode “variety series” for Hulu.

Brooks himself would write and executive produce alongside Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz and Wanda Sykes, all of whom would also star as various characters. And that’s about all we’ve heard…until now. From the sounds of things, the Brooks series could shape up as the all-star cast event of the decade.

I’m told that Malcolm Barrett, Jillian Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Rob Corddry, Robby Hoffman, Mitra Jouhari, Joe Mande, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Seth Rogen, JB Smoove and David Wain have agreed to appear, while others who are (or perhaps were) holding offers include a who’s who of comic talent, including Adam Sandler, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Ted Danson, Natasha Lyonne, Tim Robinson, Kumail Nanjiani, Keke Palmer, Michael Keaton, Johnny Knoxville, Taika Waititi and Danny DeVito, plus folks like Hailee Steinfeld, Dove Cameron, Jacob Elordi, Charles Melton, Zazie Beetz and Idina Menzel, and sporting world figures such as Pam Oliver and Tara Lipinski.

History of the World, Part I was comprised of segments that took place during different periods in world history, from the Stone Age to Ancient Rome, the French Revolution and the Spanish Inquisition.

This time around, as far as specific characters/time periods are concerned, I’ve heard offers were out to Jay Ellis (Jesus Christ), Timothy Simons (Abraham Lincoln, after Bo Burnham passed), and Jack McBrayer (Robert E. Lee). Other real-life figures who I expect will be depicted in one fashion or another include William Shakespeare (Benedict Cumberbatch passed), Galileo Galilei, Grigori Rasputin, Leon Trotsky, Vladimir Lenin, and Joseph Stalin, which is the role Sandler was offered.

Some of the folks listed above may very well end up passing on this project, if they haven’t already. I know some big names have already had to turn the project down for various reasons. But for many, the chance to work with 95-year-old Brooks on a sequel to a movie that many of them grew up loving is too much fun to ignore, especially when the anthology-style series likely requires a minimal time commitment on their end.

A four night event, streaming March 6 on Hulu.

Finally, a sequel to the seminal Mel Brooks film, HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I, with each episode featuring a variety of sketches that take us through different periods of human history.