Film & Media · San Diego
Rick Moranis makes surprise Comic-Con debut at Spaceballs sequel panel, film set for April 2027
Amazon MGM's Hall H presentation for Spaceballs: The New One brought Rick Moranis out of hiding for his first convention appearance, as cast and creators celebrated the 1987 parody and revealed a release date of April 23, 2027.
In brief
Rick Moranis, largely absent from Hollywood for decades, made his first Comic-Con appearance, hidden among fans with a Dark Helmet mask until revealed to a standing ovation.
Spaceballs: The New One arrives April 23, 2027, with Mel Brooks returning as Yogurt at age 100 via motion capture, as he could not be on set.
Josh Gad pitched the sequel in a 40-minute call to Mel Brooks after his daughter asked why there was no part 2, leading to Brooks approving the project despite not fully understanding the modern film references.
The film is described as a love letter to John Candy; Gad will not play Barf but a new Mawg character, and Lewis Pullman noted the plot involves retrieving Lone Starr's hat knocked off by Barf in the original.
- Gad recounts originJosh Gad explains how his daughter's question sparked the sequel.
- Pullman letterBill Pullman's video message; son Lewis reads a letter that omits him.
- Q&AGad jokes about Blade; panel ends.
A surprise appearance
Rick Moranis, who played Dark Helmet in the original 1987 parody, had never attended Comic-Con before. During the Hall H panel on Friday, cast members combed the aisles searching for him until he was found wearing an oversized Darth Vader-style helmet among fans. Moranis took the stage to a standing ovation and chants of "Rick! Rick! Rick!" Moderator Kevin Smith told him, "You made our childhoods better."
“You made our childhoods better.”
How the sequel came to life
Josh Gad recounted that a planned Honey I Shrunk the Kids sequel with Moranis had fallen apart, but after watching Spaceballs with his daughter, she asked why there was no part 2. Gad said he had a dream about the sequel that night and soon cold-called Mel Brooks with a 40-minute pitch. Brooks, Gad imitated, replied that he barely understood half the modern references but really liked it. Gad also joked during audience Q&A about making a "really weird Blade" that might finally get made.
“We'd make a really weird Blade, but maybe it would finally get made.”
Returning legends
Mel Brooks, now 100, appeared in a recorded video, joking he was on the convention floor trying to buy a rare Charizard card. Brooks returns as Yogurt in the sequel but was filmed separately using motion capture because he could not be on set. Bill Pullman, who played Lone Starr, also beamed in with a video message, claiming he was tracking down a Charizard card in the UK. His son Lewis Pullman, who plays Lone Starr's son Starburst in the new film, read a letter from his father that did not mention him at all, drawing laughs.
“From the bottom of my heart I wanna say, thank you, nerds.”
The panel also included Daphne Zuniga, who returns as Princess Vespa, director Josh Greenbaum, Keke Palmer as the new character Destiny, and writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. Palmer declined to reveal details about her role but called the script incredibly funny.
A love letter to John Candy
Gad said the late John Candy is the beating heart of the film and clarified he is not playing Barf but a new Mawg. The movie is a tribute to Candy and the original cast. Lewis Pullman shared that his least favorite scene in the original was when Barf knocked his father's cowboy hat off, and that the sequel revolves around trying to get that hat back.
“For a while I had real beef with Barf.”
Release and presentation
Spaceballs: The New One is scheduled for April 23, 2027. The panel did not show a trailer but screened footage of Brooks reuniting with Moranis, Zuniga, and Bill Pullman, all emotional after decades apart. The presentation itself mocked Marvel's phase timeline announcements, displaying eleven absurd phases of Spaceballs, including musicals. Moranis said the decision to return was one of the best he has ever made.