Lord Dark Helmet is back!
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Rick Moranis, who played a hilarious parody of Darth Vader, made a special appearance at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday at a panel discussion about Spaceballs, the new sequel to the 1987 Star Wars parody film.
The 73-year-old, who plays the same role in the sequel, walked through a packed hall in Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center wearing the iconic giant helmet from the original film.
The audience couldn’t help but give Moranis, who retired from film acting nearly 30 years ago, a standing ovation.
The sequel, titled “Spaceballs: The New One,” is scheduled to hit theaters on April 23, 2027. The project was supported by several comedians and actors, including Josh Gad. Familiar faces will also appear, including Mel Brooks, the director of the original film. Not only is he a producer on the sequel, he will also be reprising his role as Yoda, the popular Yoda parody character.
Moranis’ entrance was certainly theatrical. The actor did not open the event with other panel members. Rather, he surprised the audience by appearing in the audience seats hidden under his helmet. Understandably, the crowd went wild.
Moranis then joined the panel and spoke to fans about his decision to re-enter the industry with his next film.
“I felt like this was my limit. It was time,” he told the crowd. “I said yes. This is the best decision I’ve ever made.”
The actor, who announced his return from the popular villain role last year, also joked that he had never actually quit. He said he had been discussing the idea of a sequel in 1989.
“I never really retired,” he joked. “We were just negotiating.”
The panel was packed with several other notable moments, including a parody of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the universe of Marvel superhero movies that are typically released in “phased” fashion.
For this event, the panel announced “Spaceballs Cinematic Universe.” The MCU parody included over 11 phases, including the “Almighty Schwartz Saga”. (IYKYK!)
Mel Brooks, who recently turned 100, didn’t attend the event but sent a hilarious video message.
“Sorry I can’t be with you. I’m on the convention floor buying a rare Charizard card. When I was your age, we used to go to something called ‘work’ on Fridays,” he said in the video, according to Deadline. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to all the otakus.”
