The 1987 film “Spaceballs” may be one of comedy icon Mel Brooks’ (“Young Frankenstein”) most beloved. Last week, after decades of fans begging, he confirmed that “Spaceballs: The Sequel” is in the works. Now, original cast member Tim Russ (“Star Trek: Picard”) is teasing that he may return for the follow-up!
Before Russ was the Vulcan Tuvok on “Star Trek: Voyager,” he was combing the desert for Brooks. The first “Spaceballs” was a wall-to-wall parody of the sci-fi genre, with several scenes directly satirizing genre pioneer “Star Wars.”
In one of these scenes, Russ, a Spaceball trooper, is told to “comb the desert” to look for a Princess they believe to be lost in the sands of Vega. (Much like the droids were searched for on Tatooine). We see three different pairings of troopers with oversized hair combs using the desert as a giant zen garden. When asked if they’ve found anything, Russ’ character responds with “We ain’t found shit!”
Despite being Tuvok for several years, the actor says those four words are still what he is best known for.
People just “can’t get enough of it,” he told the 7th Rule Podcast. “We ain’t found shit!” I was on Voyager for seven years, but most people remember me from that, four words, that’s it.” However, Russ embraces the role and often appears for special screenings of “Spaceballs.”
Russ and “Spaceballs: The Sequel”
On June 13th, a day after Amazon MGM Studios confirmed “Spaceballs: The Sequel,” the actor jumped on the hype train. He shared Brooks’ announcement video on X (formerly Twitter), captioning it with “I may be ….. combing the desert again..!!!”
While this could very easily be a joke, considering how many legacy cast members are already attached, we aren’t ruling Russ out, just yet. Brooks will return as a producer and to play Yogurt. Rick Moranis is coming out of retirement to reprise his role as Dark Helmet. Daphne Zuniga is back as Queen Vespa, with Bill Pullman returning as Lone Star. Pullman’s son, Lewis Pullman, will be a new face among the cast, playing the son of Lone Star and Queen Vespa.
Josh Gad will star as well as co-write, with Josh Greenbaum directing.
“Spaceballs: The Sequel” is slated to hit theaters in 2027. We’ll keep you posted on updates as the project develops.
