Rick Moranis Thrills Fans With Rare Appearance at ‘Spaceballs 2’ Comic-Con Panel

Rick Moranis just thrilled Spaceballs fans with a rare appearance at a Comic-Con panel after a nearly 30-year Hollywood hiatus.

On Friday, July 24, the Ghostbusters actor, 73, was welcomed with a standing ovation at a San Diego Comic-Con panel for Spaceballs: The New One, which hits theaters in April 2027.

During the panel discussion, Moranis joked, “I really wasn’t retired. I was just negotiating.” He also said, of his decision to return to acting, “It just felt like, ‘This is it.’ This is… it’s time.”

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In the comments of one clip of the standing ovation, fans rejoiced over Moranis’ return to acting. “I’m so glad he’s back,” one Instagram user wrote. “I don’t even care if the sequel is meh or not, I’m just excited to see him again.”

Another quipped, “Suddenly, Seymour is back!!” a nod to Moranis’ Little Shop of Horrors role.

Someone else echoed, “He better be here to stay! So happy he’s back.”

Many also pointed out how amazing Moranis looked at the panel, with one declaring, “He hasn’t aged at all. So awesome!”

A second agreed, writing, “Well deserved, he looks terrific.”

Yet another predicted, “He looks great. He might get a Hollywood comeback after Spaceballs 2.”

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Moranis left Hollywood in the mid-90s to focus on caring for his two children after his wife, Ann Belsky, died of cancer. His last live-action film role was Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves! in 1997.

In addition to Moranis, the original Spaceballs starred Mel Brooks, Bill Pullman, John Candy, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, George Wyner, Michael Winslow, Joan Rivers, Jim J. Bullock, Brenda Strong, Stephen Tobolowsky, and more.

Moranis will reprise his role as Dark Helmet from the original 1987 film parodying Star Wars. Other returning cast members include Brooks, Pullman, Zuniga, and Wyner. Additionally, Bill’s son, Lewis Pullman, will join the cast as Prince Starburst, with Keke Palmer playing Destiny, Josh Gad playing Mawg, and Anthony Carrigan and Rowan Witt in the mix as well.

Spaceballs, streaming on MGM+, AMC+, and Philo; Spaceballs: The New One, hitting theaters on April 23, 2027