At Comic-Con International in San Diego, fans received news they had long awaited. Rick Moranis, once absent from Hollywood, will return as Dark Helmet in ‘Spaceballs: The New One.’ This sequel to the beloved 1987 ‘Spaceballs’ film is set for release next April. A crowd gathered in Hall H cheered as Moranis, aged 73, surprised them by appearing under his character’s oversized helmet.

Moranis expressed excitement about joining the project, saying, ‘This came along at the right time. It just felt like this is it. It is the best decision I ever made. It’s like family to me.’

Joining Moranis on stage were co-star Daphne Zuniga, director Josh Greenbaum, writer-actor Josh Gad, and writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. New cast members include Keke Palmer and Lewis Pullman, who expressed delight upon reading the script. ‘It was so funny that I kept being like, Oh my God! Can you believe they said that?’ said Palmer.

Lewis Pullman, son of the original film’s Lone Starr, Bill Pullman, was hesitant at first but ultimately impressed with the script. ‘I read it and I was like, Damn it. This is so good. This is one of the funniest scripts I’ve ever read,’ he noted.

Though Mel Brooks and Bill Pullman did not attend in person, they greeted fans through prerecorded messages. Behind-the-scenes footage showed Brooks recording lines and reuniting with Zuniga and Bill Pullman. A sneak peek at a teaser trailer delighted the audience.

Josh Gad shared he would play a mawg, distinct from John Candy’s character Barf. Gad assured fans the film would honor Candy and other deceased original cast members such as Joan Rivers, Dom DeLuise, and Dick Van Patten.

In a humorous segment, the crew joked about ‘cinematic universe’ trends by displaying an exaggerated parody timeline called ‘The Almighty Schwartz Saga’ across Hall H’s screens.