Beloved Actor Rick Moranis Returns to Acting in Spaceballs Sequel After Nearly 30 Years Away: Report (2025)

Rick Moranis is making his return to acting in the forthcoming Spaceballs sequel!

The 72-year-old star — who famously played Dark Helmet in the 1987 space-opera spoof film — will reprise his role in the upcoming new movie, according to Deadline, acting alongside original director Mel Brooks. It will mark Moranis' first live-action movie role in nearly 30 years.

The outlet also reports that original star Bill Pullman will return in his role of Lone Starr, and that Keke Palmer will be part of the new cast.

Brooks, 98, and Josh Gad also producing the sequel, which will be directed by Josh Greenbaum and co-written by Gad, 44, the latter of whom Deadline also reports will star.

A rep for Amazon MGM Studios had no comment about the reported casting of Moranis, Pullman, 71, Gad, or Palmer, 31, when reached by PEOPLE.

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Brooks officially announced the film on X Thursday, June 12, alongside a Star Wars-type opening crawl screen and a caption that read, "I told you we'd be back."

"After 40 years, we asked, 'What do the fans want?' But instead, we're making this movie," Brooks — in a "SPACEBALLS: THE SWEATSHIRT" top — joked in the video, before the footage cut to key art depicting Dark Helmet with an "only in theaters" release date of 2027.

"May the Schwartz be with you!" the filmmaker concluded, quoting a famous line in the original Spaceballs.

Per a release announcing the crew behind the film and Brooks' return as the character Yogurt, Spaceballs 2 will serve as "a Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film," it hilariously describes.

Sharing Brooks' video, Gad wrote on Instagram, "I was that child who saw 'Spaceballs' before I ever saw 'Star Wars' and then wondered why anyone would do a dramatic remake of the Mel Brooks classic. It is therefore the greatest gift of my life to now help take the reins and work alongside Mel and this incredible group to do a sequel to the movie that first inspired George Lucas. 🪐🏐🎾🏀."

Moranis, meanwhile, notably stepped away from show business after his wife, costume designer Ann Belsky, died of breast cancer in 1991, to raise their two children, daughter Rachel and son Mitchell. His last live-action role was in 1997's Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves.

And though the actor slowly left public life to focus on being a single father, he never officially retired from the business, he toldThe Hollywood Reporterin 2015.

“I took a break, which turned into a longer break,” Moranis toldTHRat the time. “But I’m interested in anything that I would find interesting. I still get the occasional query about a film or television role, and as soon as one comes along that piques my interest.”

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In February 2020,THRannouncedthatMoranis was returningto film for a reboot of 1989'sHoney, I Shrunk the Kids,titledShrunk.He was slated to play his former character, inventor Wayne Szalinski, withGad as his now-grown son. Original directorJoe Johnstonwas also returning.

In 2023, Gadshared an updateaboutShrunk, writing on X that COVID, scheduling problems and budgetary issues had possibly derailed the project. "If you want it, let your local@disneyknow,"he added at the time.