In February 2020, news broke that legendary Canadian actor and comedian, Rick Moranis, had officially signed on for a legacy sequel to the classic science fiction comedy franchise, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, ostensibly ending his self-imposed hiatus from acting, as he had not featured in a live-action production since Honey, I Shrunk Ourselves.
Fate, however, can often be cruel, as the entire world came to a standstill the following month sue to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the sequel, which was titled Shrunk and had been conceived by none other than Josh Gad, was put on hold, before eventually being shelved. Then, just last week it was announced that Moranis and Gad will indeed be teaming up, but instead of the sequel Shrunk, it will be a sequel for the classic Mel Brooks parody film Spaceballs, with much of the living original cast members returning, including the 99-year-old Brooks, in addition to an impressive list of newcomers.
Frederick “Rick” Allan Moranis got his start in entertainment in the 1970s as a disc jockey for several Toronto radio stations, before being asked to join Second City Television by his friend Dave Thomas, which was inarguably one of the most pivotal moments in Moranis’ career. During his tenure with the show, he would work with the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Catherin O’Hara, while he and Thomas would create and play the iconic duo Bob and Doug McKenzie for the sketch “The Great White North.” They would prove so popular, even for American viewers, that they became cornerstones of the show, going on to release two comedy albums, the first of which was nominated for a Grammy, while the second was a companion album for the 1983 cult classic film Strange Brew, which was not only Moranis’ feature film debut, but he and Thomas also wrote and directed it.
Moranis’ rise from here can only be described as precipitous, because by 1994 he had major supporting roles in the Arthur Hill film Streets of Fire and Ghostbusters, the latter of which became the highest grossing comedy film ever at the time. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s then, Moranis would feature in a mix of leading and supporting roles in films such as Brewster’s Millions (another Walter Hill picture, which also starred his friend John Candy in the lead role), Head Office, Little Shop of Horrors, Ghostbusters II, the Honey I Shrunk the Kids trilogy, and of course, 1987’s Spaceballs, which is recognized today as one of the finest Star Wars parodies ever made.
However, tragedy struck as Moranis’ wife died of cancer in 1991, and by 1997 he decided to take a hiatus from acting due to the long hours and frequent travelling to raise his children full-time. Moranis insists that he never truly retired, but rather he became incredibly selective of the work he took on, as evidenced from his voice work in Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2 in 2003 and 2006 respectively, performing alongside his old friend Dave Thomas, who he also joined for the TV special Bob & Doug McKenzie’s Two-Four Anniversary in 2007.
Nonetheless, Moranis has officially ended his acting hiatus, returning as the Darth Vader parody Lord Dark Helmet in Spaceballs 2, much to the delight of original film’s fans. Fellow original cast members Bill Pullman, Mel Brooks, Daphne Zuniga, and George Wyner will join him also. It is unfortunate that John Candy will not be able to reprise his role as the Chewbacca parody Barf due to his death in 1994, but if the recently released image of the cast’s table read is anything to go by, it may be hinting that Gad himself may play the son of Barf, and additional new cast members include Lewis Pullman (who is the son of Bill Pullman and they have been confirmed to be playing father and son in the sequel), Keke Palmer, and Anthony Carrigan. The film is co-written by Gad, Brooks, and screenwriting duo Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, while directing duties will be handled by Josh Greenbaum, who is best known for documentaries, most notably the acclaimed Will & Harper.
Spaceballs 2 is currently slated to release some time in 2027. Rick Moranis Officially Returns to Acting for Spaceballs 2