Rick Moranis set to return to acting for 'Spaceballs 2'
FILE - Actor Rick Moranis with the plant Audrey II in the film "Little Shop of Horrors," directed by Frank Oz and released in 1986. (Photo by Murray Close/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)
Rick Moranis is making his long-awaited return to the big screen for "Spaceballs 2," a sequel to the hit ‘80s sci-fi parody "Spaceballs."
Legendary director Mel Brooks confirmed the "Spaceballs 2" sequel on X with a comical video leading up to the announcement.
‘Spaceballs 2’
What we know:
According to Deadline, Moranis will resume his role as Dark Helmet, while his co-star Bill Pullman returns to play Lone Starr. Keke Palmer is also reportedly joining the cast, and Brooks will reprise his role as Yogurt.
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Josh Greenbaum will direct the sequel, with Josh Gad expected to star in and produce the movie alongside Brooks and several others.
The "Spaceballs 2" movie from Amazon MGM Studios is slated for release in 2027.
What we don't know:
Amazon declined to comment on the production, per Deadline, and it’s unclear what Palmer’s role will be.
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What they're saying:
"After 40 years, we asked, what do the fans want? But instead, we’re making this movie," Brooks joked in a video he shared on social media.
Why did Rick Moranis stop acting?
The backstory:
Moranis was known for a slew of blockbuster films in the ‘80s and ‘90s, including "Ghostbusters," "Little Shop of Horrors," the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" franchise, "The Flintstones" and more. He hasn’t starred in a movie since "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves," the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" sequel, in 1997. He took a break from acting to raise his two children after his wife, Ann Belsky, died of breast cancer in 1991.
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"It wasn’t a formal decision," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. "It began in an already busy year where I declined a film that was being shot out of town as the school year was beginning. But I was fortunate to be able to continue to make a living writing and doing voice work in Manhattan."
Following his departure from movies, Moranis did some voice acting for Disney in 2003 and also did Canadian radio ads. He released comedy albums and wrote op-eds for The New York Times.
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He was also expected to star in a "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" reboot called "Shrunk," but the COVID-19 pandemic halted those plans.
The Source: This report includes information from Deadline, Mel Brooks' X account and The Hollywood Reporter.