Almost a decade ago, Lewis Pullman began his acting career by appearing opposite dad Bill Pullman in the western The Ballad of Lefty Brown. Since then, he’s forged his own path, appearing in high-flying features such as Top Gun: Maverick and Marvel Studios’ The Thunderbolts* and earning an Emmy nomination for Lessons in Chemistry.
Now he is ready to reunite with his father onscreen and is in talks to star in the upcoming Spaceballs sequel.
The elder Pullman starred as the Han Solo-esque character Lone Starr in the Mel Brooks-directed film, which was released in 1987 and is fondly remembered for its riffs on Star Wars and other sci-fi staples, from Star Trek to 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Amazon MGM Studios is behind the sequel and intends to give it a theatrical release in 2027. The studio had no comment on Pullman’s casting.
Josh Greenbaum is directing from a script by Benji Samit, Dan Hernandez and Josh Gad, the latter who is also starring along with Keke Palmer. Brooks returns as the Yoda-esque character Yogurt.
Also expected to return to their roles are Rick Moranis and Daphne Zuniga.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Lewis Pullman will play a character named Starburst, the sun of Queen Vespa (Zuniga) and Lone Starr (Bill Pullman). Franchise newcomer Keke Palmer will play a role by the name of Destiny. The two, along with Gad, are the leads.
One has to comb the desert to find plot details, but Amazon amiably describes the new project this way: “While the title, plot details, and rest of cast are being kept under wraps, the film has been described by those who have not yet read the script as ‘A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two’ but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film.”
Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Jeb Brody are producing alongside Gad, Brooks and Greenbaum. Kevin Slater, Adam Merims, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez will executive produce.
Pullman spent years wanting his acting career to be totally separate from his relationship from his father, but in recent times has changed his philosophy. As he told THR last month: “For a long time, I was like, ‘I’m gonna do this on my own and was very stubborn, and I’m so glad that I got over whatever that was because now it’s such a gift to be able to share different experiences with my dad and get advice from him.”