Rick Moranis made a surprise appearance at San Diego Comic-Con in Hall H to promote the sequel to Mel Brooks' 1987 Star Wars parody, Spaceballs. Moranis, known for roles in classics like Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, returns as Dark Helmet for the new film, Spaceballs: The New One.
The Return of Rick Moranis
In his first-ever Comic-Con appearance, Moranis received a standing ovation from the crowd, who chanted his name. Kevin Smith moderated the panel, expressing gratitude by saying, "You made our childhoods better." Moranis sat alongside Josh Gad, Daphne Zuniga, Josh Greenbaum, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman, and writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit.
Josh Gad's Sequel Vision
Gad shared how the sequel idea originated while working on a failed Honey, I Shrunk the Kids project. His daughter’s curiosity about a sequel after watching Moranis movies sparked the idea. Gad pitched to Brooks, incorporating references to new Star Wars films like The Force Awakens and characters such as Kylo Ren. Brooks humorously responded, "Josh, it sounds like you’ve really got your finger on the pulse. I don’t know half of what you’re talking about, but I really like it."
Brooks' Presence and Advice
While Brooks was not present, his influence was felt through recorded messages and clips shown during the panel. Director Josh Greenbaum recalled Brooks' advice, "Don’t say ‘Cut!’ first. It’s ‘Action!,’ and then ‘Cut!’" Greenbaum interpreted this as encouragement to have fun and not take the process too seriously.
Exploring Nostalgia Through Comedy
Gad highlighted the film’s exploration of nostalgia and the changing film industry. "The industry it was parodying is very different now," said Gad. "We love movies that look back. We analyzed why that is and thought Spaceballs was perfect to catch us up with everything in filmdom." Smith added, "When they made the first one, there was a trilogy to make fun of. Now there’s a never-ending fount."
The panel concluded with a humorous segment featuring Lewis Pullman reading a letter from his father, Bill Pullman, and a mock-up of a Spaceballs cinematic universe, ribbing Marvel Studios’ timeline announcements.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/spaceballs-the-new-one-footage-1236656320/
