Rick Moranis says Spaceballs 2 return felt like a time warp
Rick Moranis told Comic-Con that returning as Dark Helmet after decades away felt strange before he began to love it again.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
The Rick Moranis Spaceballs 2 reunion came with a jolt of déjà vu for the comedy star, who said at Comic-Con that putting the Dark Helmet costume back on after nearly four decades left him feeling as if time had folded in on itself.
Moranis returned to live-action feature work last fall to reprise Lord Dark Helmet in the sequel now titled Spaceballs: The New One, Variety reported. The film brings him back to the Mel Brooks sci-fi spoof universe nearly 40 years after the original Spaceballs.
Speaking at Comic-Con, in comments reported by People, Moranis said the set felt strange because he was surrounded by familiar faces from the 1987 movie and younger cast members who put the passage of time into sharp focus.
He said he kept noticing Daphne Zuniga, Bill Pullman and George Wyner, then looking at the younger actors around them. Moranis told the crowd he realized he had been their age 39 years earlier when the original film was made, and that his own children are now that age.
Moranis described the experience as being in a “time warp” while back in the outfit and helmet. He added that although the return felt odd at first, it began to feel good and he grew to love it.
Who is in Spaceballs 2?
The sequel reunites Moranis with several original Spaceballs cast members. Variety reported that George Wyner is back as Colonel Sandurz, Daphne Zuniga returns as Princess Vespa, Bill Pullman reprises Lone Starr and Mel Brooks returns as Yogurt.
The new cast includes Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman and Anthony Carrigan. Their roles have not been revealed, according to Variety.
Josh Greenbaum directed the sequel. His past credits include Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar and Will & Harper. Gad wrote the screenplay with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez.
How long was Rick Moranis away from live-action movies?
Moranis had not appeared in a live-action feature since the 1997 comedy sequel Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, Variety reported. That makes the Spaceballs sequel a rare on-camera return after nearly 30 years away from that kind of role.
His screen work did not vanish entirely during that period. Variety noted that Moranis took voice roles in two Brother Bear movies in the mid-2000s and also worked on two seasons of Bob & Doug, the Canadian animated sitcom he co-created.
The original Spaceballs turned Moranis’ Dark Helmet into one of the film’s signature comic creations, a pint-sized sendup of Darth Vader with an oversized helmet and an even bigger attitude. The sequel puts him back beside Brooks and the old gang while adding a new generation to the joke.
When does Spaceballs: The New One come out?
Spaceballs: The New One is scheduled to open in theaters on April 23, 2027, according to Variety.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.