Rick Moranis Returns as Dark Helmet as ‘Spaceballs: The New One’ Takes Over Comic-Con

Rick Moranis returned to one of his most recognizable roles Friday when the cast of Spaceballs: The New One assembled at San Diego Comic-Con to present footage from the long-awaited sequel to Mel Brooks’ 1987 comedy.

Moranis appeared at the Hall H presentation wearing Dark Helmet’s oversized headgear and received a standing ovation from the audience. The appearance was especially notable because the actor has spent much of the past several decades away from major Hollywood productions.

Rick Moranis steps back into Dark Helmet’s uniform

The panel turned Moranis’ entrance into an extended joke inspired by the original film. The actor initially remained hidden in the audience while performers dressed as soldiers searched the room with an oversized comb, referencing one of Spaceballs’ best-known scenes.

Moranis then joined director Josh Greenbaum, writer and actor Josh Gad, writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, returning cast member Daphne Zuniga and new stars Keke Palmer and Lewis Pullman.

The Associated Press reported that the presentation included a teaser and behind-the-scenes footage. Moranis described returning to the franchise as a decision that arrived at the right point in his life, while several cast members spoke about the pressure of continuing a comedy that has retained a devoted following for nearly four decades.

Mel Brooks and the original cast return

Mel Brooks did not attend the panel in person, but the filmmaker appeared in a prerecorded video. Brooks, who turned 100 in June, is returning as Yogurt and President Skroob and remains a producer on the sequel.

Bill Pullman will reprise his role as Lone Starr, with his son Lewis Pullman joining the cast in a role that has not been revealed. Zuniga returns as Princess Vespa, George Wyner returns as Colonel Sandurz and Moranis once again plays Dark Helmet.

The film’s new cast also includes Palmer, Gad and Anthony Carrigan. Greenbaum is directing from a screenplay written by Gad, Hernandez and Samit.

What the Comic-Con footage revealed

The presentation offered a brief look at Brooks recording dialogue and reuniting with returning cast members. Gad also confirmed that he plays a mawg, the fictional half-man, half-dog species represented by John Candy’s character Barf in the original film. Gad’s character is not Barf.

The filmmakers said the sequel would recognize Candy and other members of the original cast who have died, including Joan Rivers, Dom DeLuise and Dick Van Patten.

The panel also parodied the elaborate franchise timelines used by modern studios. Hall H’s screens displayed an imagined, multi-phase series of Spaceballs projects under the name “The Almighty Schwartz Saga,” allowing the sequel to mock Hollywood’s current dependence on interconnected cinematic universes.

What has not been revealed

Amazon MGM Studios has not released a complete plot description for the film. The characters played by Palmer and Lewis Pullman also remain undisclosed.

The footage presented at Comic-Con confirms that the sequel will continue the original film’s tradition of parodying major science-fiction franchises. The specific films, television series and cinematic universes targeted by the new story have not yet been formally identified.

When ‘Spaceballs: The New One’ will be released

Spaceballs: The New One is scheduled to open in theaters on April 23, 2027. Amazon MGM Studios confirmed the date and principal cast through its official production overview.

The film arrives almost 40 years after the original Spaceballs, which parodied Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien and several other science-fiction properties. The return of Moranis, Brooks, Pullman, Zuniga and Wyner gives the sequel a substantial connection to the original while its new cast introduces another generation of performers to the franchise.