Rick Moranis Sets Big Screen Return After 30 Years to Reprise 1 of His Most Beloved Roles

Rick Moranis is on an acting hiatus no more! The actor is set to reprise his role as Dark Helmet, alongside fellow returning star Bill Pullman as Lone Starr, in Amazon MGM Studios' Spaceballs 2.

Rick Moranis is on an acting hiatus no more! The actor is set to reprise his role as Dark Helmet, alongside fellow returning star Bill Pullman as Lone Starr, in Amazon MGM Studios' Spaceballs 2.

Keke Palmer is also attached to the long-awaited sequel, although her role remains under wraps. It's unclear at this time if Palmer's role is the one that Wicked star Ariana Grande was previously offered. Back in February, Grande stated that she could "neither confirm nor deny" whether she had been approached for a role in Spaceballs 2, although her comment that she is "blushing" about being asked to appear in the sequel led many to believe the rumors were true. However, as it stands, Grande's name is nowhere to be found in Deadline's casting article.

Mel Brooks Also Returning for Spaceballs 2

Moranis and Pullman's casting comes after Amazon MGM Studios announced earlier today that Mel Brooks would be coming back as Yogurt, the wise Yoda-like figure who taught Pullman's Lone Starr how to use the "Schwartz" (not to be confused with Star Wars' The Force) in the original movie. The only other cast member attached to the sequel at this time is Josh God, who, in addition to leading the follow-up, also co-wrote the screenplay with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Plot details remain under wraps, although the sequel has been described as a "Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film."

Josh Greenbaum, who recently signed on to direct a new Care Bears movie, is set to direct the follow-up to Spaceballs, which lampooned not only the original Star Wars trilogy but also Star Trek, Transformers, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The plot revolves around Moranis' evil Dark Helmet and President Skroob (also played by Brooks) attempting to steal the atmosphere of the peaceful planet Druidia, only to be thwarted by Pullman's Han Solo-inspired Lone Starr, his alien sidekick Barf (John Candy), and the Druish princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga). With Candy passing away in 1994, it's unclear if Barf will be absent in the sequel or recast with a different actor. Zuniga, on the other hand, is still active in the industry and could very well reprise her role as Vespa.