One of the most exciting aspects of the upcoming screwball comedy sequel Spaceballs 2 is that it will feature the acting return of Rick Moranis, and there’s one key factor that makes the movie worthy of the iconic actor’s return. Moranis famously played Lord Dark Helmet, the parody movie’s spoof version of Darth Vader. Although he has other notable roles, Dark Helmet is among Moranis’ most recognizable characters.
The first look at the cast of Spaceballs 2 served as confirmation that Moranis would be returning for the sequel, which will release nearly 40 years after the original hit theaters. After a highly successful run in the 1980s and early 1990s, Moranis retired from acting in 1997. Following the death of his wife in 1991, Moranis retired essentially at the height of his fame in order to focus on raising his children.
It’s clear that Moranis never had any intentions of returning unless the project and the timing were right, so Spaceballs 2 finally bringing him out of retirement indicates there’s something special about the project. One factor in particular makes Spaceballs 2 worthy of Moranis’ return, which is already generating hype despite only the cast list being revealed so far.
Spaceballs 2 Has Almost All Its Major Players Returning, Including Mel Brooks
For Spaceballs 2 to be worthy of Moranis coming out of retirement, the movie needed to not feel like a run-of-the-mill nostalgia reboot. While a gag in Spaceballs noted that an eventual sequel would be titled Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money, it could have felt extremely cheap if a new version of the absurdist parody was slapped together with a new generation of actors.
Fortunately, Spaceballs 2 will be made with virtually the entire team behind the original. Most importantly, Spaceballs 2 will include the input of Mel Brooks, the legendary comedic genius behind the best parody humor from the 1970s and 1980s. At 99 years of age, the urgency surrounding Brooks’ involvement was likely a determining factor in Moranis’ return.
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Spaceballs – Key Details |
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Release Date |
Budget |
Box Office |
RT Tomatometer Score |
RT Popcornmeter Score |
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June 24th, 1987 |
$22.7 million |
$40.3 million |
52% |
83% |
Not only will Spaceballs’ creator be returning, but most of the key cast will be coming back as well. Bill Pullman and Daphne Zuniga, who starred as Lone Starr and Princess Vespa (the Luke Skywalker/Han Solo and Princess Leia parodies) will also be reprising their roles in the sequel. It’s speculated that Josh Gad will be replacing the late John Candy’s Barf (Chewbacca) in some capacity.
With almost all the ingredients of the original formula back in the mix for the sequel, Spaceballs 2 immediately became a worthy choice for Moranis’ return to acting. It would have felt incomplete without him as the iconic Dark Helmet, and I almost wonder if his involvement was a prerequisite for greenlighting the sequel.
- Director
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Josh Greenbaum
- Writers
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Dan Hernandez, Josh Gad, Benji Samit