Spaceballs 2: Lewis Pullman Joins Father in Sequel (And He’s Playing the Perfect Role)

After a hilarious announcement video from Spaceballs 2 producer Mel Brooks, there’s even more good news for fans of the iconic sci-fi spoof. The Hollywood Reporter broke that Lewis Pullman (Thunderbolts*) is reportedly joining his father Bill Pullman, who played Lone Starr. Starr was a riff on Star Wars’ roguish hero Han Solo in Spaceballs, which blasted into theaters in 1987. Now, after establishing his own impressive career, Lewis Pullman is rumored to be playing a character named Starburst, who is the son of Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) and Starr in the sequel. It would be the first time both Bill and Lewis Pullman have appeared on screen together in nearly a decade since Lewis’s feature film debut in The Ballad of Lefty Brown.

While Amazon MGM is keeping the plot details on Spaceballs 2 tightly under wraps, the original Spaceballs helmer Mel Brooks will return as a producer on the sequel. Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar) will direct a script from Josh Gad, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit. Amazon MGM is eying a 2027 theatrical release for the highly anticipated comedy.

Pullman Joins Star-Studded Cast of Newcomers and Old Favorites

In addition to returning to the sequel as a producer, the 98-year-old Brooks will also reprise his character Yogurt, a spoof on George Lucas’s Yoda, in Spaceballs 2. Along with the elder Pullman, comedy legend Rick Moranis is set to return as Dark Helmet, a parody of Darth Vader. Keke Palmer (Nope) will join the franchise as a character named Destiny and co-writer Josh Gad (Frozen) is also set to play a leading role. Sources told THR that Pullman’s Starburst and Palmer’s Destiny will be the main characters in Spaceballs 2.

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With so little known about the actual story of the sequel, it’s hard to say what exactly the nature of the younger Pullman’s role will be. Spaceballs 2 comes 38 years after the original, similar to the 30 years that pass in the franchise between Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Since Starburst is essentially the son of the parody film’s Princess Leia and Han Solo, it’ll be interesting to see if Pullman’s Starburst will resemble Kylo Ren in Spaceballs 2. Adam Driver’s brooding, intense leader of the First Order is ripe for lampooning.

The younger Pullman has spent the past decade building his career and establishing himself as a rising star in his own right. However, it seems Pullman’s change in his approach to embracing his famous surname led to him joining the cast of Spaceballs 2.

As Lewis Pullman told THR in May, “For a long time, I was like, ‘I’m gonna do this on my own and was very stubborn, and I’m so glad that I got over whatever that was because now it’s such a gift to be able to share different experiences with my dad and get advice from him.”

Spaceballs 2 will be released in theaters in 2027.