Beloved Comedy Legend Rick Moranis Hits the Stage To Promote First Film Role in Three Decades
Rick Moranis is a beloved comedy icon, but he hasn't tackled a film role in three decades. However, the Canadian star is back in action.
Moranis, 72, skyrocketed to fame with Second City Television before hitting it big with films like Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Parenthood. However, the star is making his return to the big screen with his first live-action performance in a movie since 1997's Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. Hitting the stage to promote the sequel to the beloved 1987 comedy Spaceballs, Moranis looked happy and healthy alongside several of his original castmates during CinemaCon. The big event was in honor of the film's upcoming sequel, Spaceballs: The New One, in which he reprises his role as Dark Helmet. We can't wait to see him in that outfit once again!
Why Did Rick Moranis Stop Acting?
Moranis decided to take a step back from his acting career in 1991, after his wife, costume designer Ann Belsky, died from breast cancer, Entertainment Weekly previously reported.
"I was working with really interesting people, wonderful people," he toldTHR in 2015. "I went from that to being at home with a couple of little kids, which is a very different lifestyle. But it was important to me. I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. My life is wonderful."
What do We Know About Spaceballs: The New One?
While details aren't hefty right now, Spaceballs: The New One is directed by Josh Greenbaum and written by Josh Gad, Benji Samit, and Dan Hernandez. Set to release in theaters on April 23, 2027, the film will reunite stars from the 1987 original like Moranis, Mel Brooks, Bill Pullman, George Wyner, and Daphne Zuniga, as well as introduce several newbies to the crew, including Pullman's son Lewis Pullman, Keke Palmer, and Anthony Carrigan.
While Brooks couldn't be at CinemanCon with the rest of the team, he did appear in a pre-taped video that was presented to the audience. Check it out below:
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 11:50 AM.