Why Rick Moranis Finally Said Yes to Spaceballs 2

Spaceballs 2 blasts off with Rick Moranis in his first live-action film in three decades.

Well, this is one nobody saw coming: Rick Moranis is finally returning to live-action after pretty much disappearing from movies back in the late 90s. If you grew up watching Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, or any of the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids movies, you probably remember just how big of a deal Moranis was. And then, he pretty much vanished—by choice. After his wife Ann passed away from cancer, he left Hollywood to focus on raising his kids. For decades, he didn’t do a single live-action movie. His last appearance? Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves in 1997.

But after a break that’s lasted longer than Disney’s Star Wars drought, Moranis is coming back. And of course, he’s not just returning in some random rom-com—he’s putting the helmet back on for Spaceballs: The New One. In case you missed it, the original Spaceballs came out in 1987 and was Mel Brooks’s love letter/roasting letter to Star Wars.

So, How Did Moranis Get Pulled Back In?

Some stories about an actor’s comeback are overly dramatic. This one, honestly, is just pretty funny. Moranis says he’d been stuck in 'will they or won’t they' talks with Mel Brooks for the better part of three decades about coming back for a Spaceballs sequel. There was always some reason it didn’t come together. Enter Josh Gad—the Broadway guy who voices Olaf in Frozen—who, it turns out, desperately wanted this sequel to happen and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Literally.

'It was a combination of things, but I will say that Josh Gad is a very convincing person. He was the one, because I had been talking to Mel Brooks about doing a sequel for 30 years or something like that. And for various reasons it didn’t happen, it almost did and then it didn’t. It was Josh Gad who came up with this concept and got Mel behind it. He was just such a force. Then he started working on me. And ultimately I said yes to it because it was the only way I could get him to stop texting me.'

If you’re keeping score: 30 years of Brooks nudging Moranis didn’t get it done. Relentless Josh Gad text messages? That did the trick.

Team Effort (With Some Persistent Texting)

For the record, Mel Brooks is also out here taking credit for getting Moranis back. Brooks recounted telling Moranis: 'Look, do you want to go to your grave without ever coming back to show business again in any way? This is the way. This is the only way. Spaceballs, Dark Helmet — that’s your re-entrance.' Brooks claims Moranis is even better as Dark Helmet this time, calling him 'strange, wonderful, lovely... a very talented comic.' Moranis credits a 'combination of things.' Safe to say, Brooks was definitely a factor—just maybe less relentless than Gad’s approach.

Who’s Actually in Spaceballs: The New One?

Here’s a rundown for you, since this sequel isn’t just dragging Moranis out of hiding:

• Rick Moranis - Back as Dark Helmet, the universe’s most clueless villain.
• Bill Pullman - Returns as Lone Starr (the Han Solo send-up).
• Daphne Zuniga - Playing Queen Vespa again (still a princess, still a handful).
• George Wyner - Colonel Sanders (no, not that Colonel Sanders).
• Mel Brooks - Once again doing double duty as Yogurt (the Yoda spoof) and President Skroob (sort-of Palpatine, sort-of Mel Brooks being Mel Brooks).
• Josh Gad - Not just writing this one; he’s stepping in front of the camera too, though the exact role hasn’t been announced.
• New faces: Keke Palmer joins as Destiny. Lewis Pullman (yes, Bill’s son) plays Starburst, who is Lone Starr and Vespa’s son. Anthony Carrigan from Barry is also on board, though details on his character are still under wraps.

Sadly, original cast members John Candy and Joan Rivers (Barf and Dot Matrix) are no longer with us, so don’t expect to see those characters except maybe in a nod or a tribute.

Real Release Date. For Real This Time.

Spaceballs: The New One is aiming for theaters April 23, 2027. So you’ve got time to rewatch the original, memorize all the yogurt jokes, and start prepping your best Dark Helmet cosplay.

Still hard to believe, but after thirty years of rumors, non-starters, and a near-legendary string of 'maybe next year' answers, Spaceballs 2 is—for real—actually happening, and the gang’s mostly all here. Moranis has officially unshrunk himself from Hollywood retirement, all because Josh Gad just would not stop bugging him about it. If that’s what it takes to bring back the parody event of the decade, I’m not complaining.