Rick Moranis ended acting retirement for Spaceballs 2
Rick Moranis ended acting retirement after nearly 30 years when he returned last fall to reprise Lord Dark Helmet in Spaceballs 2: The New One. The comedy icon said filming felt “very strange” and like a “time warp,” though he grew to love being back on set with original co-stars ahead of the sequel’s April 23, 2027 theatrical release.
Key Takeaways
- Moranis ended a nearly 30-year acting retirement last fall to reprise Lord Dark Helmet.
- He told Comic-Con the Spaceballs 2 set felt “very strange” and like a “time warp.”
- Original co-stars Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, George Wyner, and Mel Brooks return.
- Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman, and Anthony Carrigan join the cast.
- Spaceballs: The New One hits theaters on April 23, 2027.
For fans tracking big-screen comedy returns and streaming and TV alerts, the comeback is a rare full-circle moment from a star who stepped away for decades.
Why did Rick Moranis end his acting retirement?
According to Variety, Moranis finally got back in front of the camera last fall for Mel Brooks’ long-awaited sequel, billed as Spaceballs 2: The New One. He is returning as Lord Dark Helmet, the role that helped define his run of 1980s and 1990s comedy hits.
His last live-action feature role was the 1997 sequel Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. Since then, his 21st-century screen work has largely been limited to voice roles, including the Brother Bear films in the mid-2000s and the Canadian animated sitcom Bob & Doug, which he co-created.
What did Moranis say about the Spaceballs 2 set?
Speaking at Comic-Con, Moranis said the reunion with Daphne Zuniga, Bill Pullman, and George Wyner left him pinching himself. He noted younger cast members were around the age he was when the original Spaceballs was made 39 years earlier, while his own kids are now that age.
“I felt like I was in a time warp, but I was in that outfit and wearing the helmet,” he said. “And it just felt very strange to be honest with you. But it started to feel really good and I really started to love it.”
Who else is in Spaceballs 2 and when does it open?
The sequel reunites Moranis with Wyner as Colonel Sandurz, Zuniga as Princess Vespa, Pullman as Lone Starr, and Brooks as Yogurt. Franchise newcomers include Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman, and Anthony Carrigan, whose roles have not been revealed.
Josh Greenbaum, known for Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar and Will & Harper, directed. Gad co-wrote the script with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Spaceballs: The New One is scheduled for theatrical release on April 23, 2027.