In today’s not-quite-Ghostbusters news, while Rick Moranis hasn’t suited up for recent entries in the Ghostbusters franchise, he’s officially set to reprise another one of his most iconic roles: Dark Helmet, in the newly announced Spaceballs sequel, writes Jason over at Ghostbusters News.
As first reported by Deadline, the upcoming film will see Moranis reunite with Bill Pullman, who returns as Lone Starr, and Mel Brooks, who once again steps into the role of Yogurt. Developed by Amazon MGM Studios, the long-awaited follow-up is currently slated for a theatrical release in 2027.
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Initially released in 1987, Spaceballs became a cult classic thanks to its parody of sci-fi staples, particularly Star Wars. The sequel is described as “A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film,” which, judging by that description, honestly feels just as ridiculous as the original film itself.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild that Moranis returned for this but turned down Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Joining the returning trio is Keke Palmer, who will be playing an undisclosed role. Josh Gad is also expected to star, co-write the script, and produce the film. Direction comes from Josh Greenbaum, with a screenplay by Gad, Benji Samit, and Dan Hernandez. Producing alongside Gad are Mel Brooks, Brian Grazer, and Jeb Brody for Imagine Entertainment.
Brooks himself will return as Yogurt while Pullman’s son, Lewis Pullman, who recently starred in The Thunderbolts/New Avengers movie will also star.
How they’re going to do this without the late, great John Candy, is anyone’s guess.
In the late 1990s, following the passing of his wife, Moranis primarily stepped away from Hollywood to focus on raising his children.
Recently, he was linked to Disney’s Shrunk, a revival of the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise, though those plans sadly never materialized.
Prophecy fulfilled. #Spaceballs2 pic.twitter.com/kXYnaGIf4B
— Max (@StreamOnMax) June 12, 2025
In recent years, he’s made select appearances, including a Mint Mobile commercial with Ryan Reynolds and an interview for Disney’s now-cancelled Cinema Relics series.
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While not Ghostbusters-related, news of Rick Moranis’ return to acting, especially reprising one of his most beloved ‘80s characters, is huge for those who grew up watching the SCTV alumni. Here’s just hoping that this time around, MGM delivers on the merchandise… we’re finally ready for Spaceballs: The Flamethrower!
Watch the official Spaceballs 2 announcement:
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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