Rick Moranis ends retirement to reprise Dark Helmet in 'Spaceballs 2' set for 2027 release

Rick Moranis has officially ended his long absence from live-action acting to reprise his role as Lord Dark Helmet in Spaceballs 2.

The sequel to Mel Brooks’ 1987 sci-fi parody will see Moranis joined by returning stars Bill Pullman as Lone Starr, Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa, Mel Brooks as Yogurt, and George Wyner as Colonel Sandurz. New cast members include Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman and Anthony Carrigan.

Amazon MGM has confirmed that production is now underway, releasing a photo from the first table read featuring the film’s stars, writers and director Josh Greenbaum. The studio has set a theatrical release for 2027.

Gad has co-written the script with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, and is also producing alongside Brooks, Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Jeb Brody.

Plot details remain under wraps, but the project is expected to parody major science fiction franchises just as the original lampooned Star Wars, Star Trek and Alien.

Moranis is best known for roles in Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. He stepped away from the screen in the 1990s following the death of his wife, appearing only in voice roles in later years.

His last live-action film was 1997’s Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. A planned return in 2020 for a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids sequel was halted due to the pandemic, making Spaceballs 2 his first official comeback.