There are oh so many reasons to be stoked about the release of Spaceballs 2. It’s the long-awaited sequel to one of the best parody movies ever, it will see a lot of the original cast return (including Rick Moranis), and it’s co-written by Josh Gad. However, one of the reasons I’m the most excited for this project is because it will star both Bill and Lewis Pullman. Now, the Independence Day actor has shared his sweet take on working with his son, which has made me even more thrilled that they’re both in this movie.
Now, before they started filming Spaceballs 2, Lewis Pullman said he was “excited as hell” to work with Bill, and noted that it’s “pretty monumental” to be doing something like this with his father. They’re done filming the comedy now, and while at the premiere for his son’s latest movie, The Testament of Ann Lee, Bill was asked about working with him on the parody sequel. In response, he told Us Weekly:
We just got done [with] three months in Australia, shooting a movie, Spaceballs, the sequel and he plays my son in it.
First of all, it’s amazing and hilarious that Lewis will be playing Bill’s son in Spaceballs 2. Considering the Casper actor’s character Lone Starr is a whole lot like Han Solo, it would track if the Top Gun: Maverick actor’s character, Starburst, was kind of like Kylo Ren. That’s not confirmed; however, people are guessing that the last Star Wars trilogy will serve as inspiration for this comedy, and it would be unsurprising if this is the case.
Now, back to the Pullmans working together. Bill noted that it was special for more reasons than one. That’s because Lewis is actually the same age now that his dad was when he played Lone Starr for the first time. Speaking to that point, the While You Were Sleeping actor said:
I did Spaceballs [as] my second movie. I was 32. [Lewis] is 32 now. So it’s like watching myself.
It must be kind of a trip to return to a project like Spaceballs for Bill Pullman. That’s because it was his second movie ever (his first was 1986’s Ruthless People), and it helped kickstart his career in a big way. To this day, Spaceballs, which you can stream with an HBO Max subscription, is one of his most beloved films. However, adding your son to the cast has to make it all the more surreal.
Then, it gets wilder because Lewis, who looks a whole lot like his dad, is the same age now as Bill was back in 1987. Now, notably, Lewis has done a bunch of work before this, as he’s starred in Top Gun: Maverick, Lesson in Chemistry, Outer Range, Thunderbolts* and more. However, he’s still very much in the early years of his career and is growing as a star, just like his father did.
Hopefully, Spaceballs 2 can be added to our list of the iconic parent-child duos, and it makes it even better that said duo will be played by an actual parent and child. Based on Bill and Lewis Pullman’s enthusiasm about this project and collaborating together, I’m feeling pretty good about it, and now I really can’t wait to travel back to this silly galaxy far, far away in 2027.