Rick Moranis Announces ‘Spaceballs’ Sequel at Comic-Con

Rick Moranis has given a long-awaited answer to fans eager for a sequel to Spaceballs. At Comic-Con International, fans enthusiastically welcomed him as he discussed his return as Dark Helmet in Spaceballs: The New One, set to release next April.

In Hall H, fans cheered when the 73-year-old actor, who has been away from Hollywood, appeared on stage. Moranis initially hid among the crowd, wearing his large character helmet, as fictional soldiers humorously searched for him with an oversized comb.

“This came along at the right time,” Moranis said regarding the film. “It just felt like this is it. It’s the best decision I ever made. It’s like family to me.” He was joined on stage by co-star Daphne Zuniga and several others, including director Josh Greenbaum and writer-actor Josh Gad.

Gad, alongside writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, and new cast members Keke Palmer and Lewis Pullman, joined the panel. Although details on Palmer and Pullman’s characters remain undisclosed, both actors expressed their enthusiasm for the project.

Palmer found the script amusing and remarked, “It was so funny that I kept being like, ‘Oh my God! Can you believe they said that?’” Pullman, although initially hesitant, was impressed by the script and decided to join, saying, “I read it and I was like, ‘Damn it. This is so good. This is one of the funniest scripts I’ve ever read.'”

Although Mel Brooks and Bill Pullman couldn’t attend in person, they greeted fans through prerecorded video messages. Attendees saw footage of Brooks recording lines and reuniting with Bill Pullman and Zuniga, as well as a sneak peek of the teaser trailer.

Josh Gad confirmed he will play a mawg, but not John Candy’s original character, Barf. He assured fans that the new film would honor original cast members like Candy, Joan Rivers, Dom DeLuise, and Dick Van Patten, who have passed away.

The team also humorously mocked the trend of cinematic universes popularized by Marvel, showcasing imagined sequels of “The Almighty Schwartz Saga” across more than 11 phases on Hall H’s wrap-around screens.